MHMHH 


JACOB  LEISLER 


STATUE  OF  JACOB  LEISLER  BY  SOLON  H.  BORGLUM,  PLACED  IN  THE 
GROUNDS  OF  THE  HUGUENOT  ASSOCIATION  AT  NEW  ROCHELLE 
TO  COMMEMORATE  LEISLER's  GIFT  OF  LANDS  TO  THE  FIRST 
SETTLERS  OF  THAT  PLACE. 


JACOB    LEISLER 


A   PLAY  OF  OLD    NEW  YORK 


BY 

WILLIAM    O.  BATES 


With  an  Introductory  Note  by 
Mrs.  Scbuyler  Van  Rensselaer 


NEW  YORK 

MITCHELL  KENNERLEY 
MCMXIII 


COPYRIGHT,    1913, 

BY 
MITCHELL  KENNERLEY 

The  Right  of  Stage  Representation  Is  Reserved  by  the 
Author 


To 

THE  SOCIETY  OF  COLONIAL  WARS 

FOUNDED   TO  PERPETUATE 
THE   MEMORY   OF 

THE  FORBEARS  OF  AMERICAN  FREEDOM  AND  UNITY 

IS   DEDICATED   THIS   TRIBUTE 

TO  THE  MOST  PICTURESQUE  AND  TRAGIC  FIGURE 
IN  ALL  ITS  LIST  OF  ANCESTORS 


INTRODUCTION 
BY  MRS.  SCHUYLER  VAN  RENSSELAER 

WHEN  the  story  upon  which  an  historical 
drama  has  been  based  is  not  familiar,  the 
reader  or  hearer  must  wish  to  learn  in 
how  far  it  has  been  truthfully  presented,  in  how  far 
it  has  been  altered  by  the  dramatist.  Of  course,  the 
interest  and  the  value  of  the  play  depend,  primarily, 
iiot  upon  its  historical  but  upon  its  dramatic  quali- 
ties; and  as  it  is  impossible,  if  only  by  reason  of  the 
immense  complexity  of  real  life,  that  any  past  hap- 
penings should  without  alteration  fit  perfectly  into 
any  dramatic  scheme,  the  dramatist  may  omit  much 
that  history  records  and  may  also  change  incidents 
and  modify  characters.  But  changes  too  numerous 
or  too  radical  outrage  that  respect  for  facts,  that 
reverence  for  historical  verity,  which  persists  no  mat- 
ter how  willing  we  are  to  judge  a  play  as  a  play. 
The  true  story,  we  feel,  should  not  be  contradicted 
in  essentials;  its  spirit  should  not  be  travestied;  its 
characters  may  be  modified,  but  should  not  be  meta- 
morphosed. 


vi  INTRODUCTION 

The  story  of  Jacob  Leisler  is  not  well  known  even 
in  the  city  where  it  unrolled  itself  more  than  two 
hundred  years  ago.  For  long  it  was  almost  forgotten 
except  by  a  few  historians  and  antiquaries.  Only  in 
recent  years  has  it  been  told  in  detail  in  print. 
Now  it  is  being  gradually  recalled  to  mind,  largely 
through  the  efforts  of  the  City  History  Club  of  New 
York  to  spread,  especially  among  our  school  children, 
a  knowledge  of  our  local  history  in  all  its  phases. 
Yet  to  most  of  Mr.  Bates's  readers,  I  fear,  his  sub- 
ject-matter will  be  entirely  new.  They  will  be  quite 
unable  to  compare  his  drama  with  the  facts  upon 
which  he  based  it. 

Therefore  he  has  asked  me  to  aid  them  in  doing 
so.  But  I  need  not  write  at  much  length  or  refer 
to  many  details,  for  the  agreement  between  his  facts 
and  his  drama  is  remarkably  close.  The  records  of 
the  period  which  have  been  preserved  are  brief  and 
in  some  parts  fragmentary.  This  means  that  the 
need  for  selection,  for  omission,  was  less  than  is  often 
the  case  with  historical  material.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  tale  as  history  tells  it  is  so  dramatic,  and  most 
of  those  who  figure  in  it,  even  when  we  know  little 
about  them,  are  so  sharply  characterized  and  con- 
trasted, that  the  need  for  invention  or  for  conspicuous 
modification  was  also  small. 

No  character  in  the  drama  has  been  invented  ex- 


INTRODUCTION  vii 

cepting  Miss  Livingston,  who  plays  a  prominent 
yet  a  secondary  part — who  adorns  the  scene,  so  to 
say,  and  agreeably  brightens  its  atmosphere,  without 
affecting  the  main  trend  of  the  action.  In  fitting 
this  action  for  the  stage  Mr.  Bates  has  necessarily 
brought  certain  incidents  a  little  closer  together  in 
time.  For  the  sake  of  dramatic  emphasis  he  has  given 
Leisler  a  more  prominent  part  in  the  capture  of  the 
Fort  and,  later  on,  has  given  Governor  Sloughter  a 
more  prominent  part  in  its  surrender  by  Leisler,  than 
the  one  or  the  other  really  played.  And,  properly 
to  develop  the  "love  affair"  which  we  expect  to  find 
important  even  when  it  is  not  the  main  theme  of  a 
play,  he  has  assumed  that  Mary  Leisler  and  Abraham 
Gouverneur  were  lovers  in  their  youth  and  that  Mary 
married  her  father's  friend  and  contemporary,  Jacob 
Milborne,  against  her  will.  History  does  not  speak 
upon  these  points.  It  merely  records  Mary's  mar- 
riage with  Milborne  and,  years  afterward,  her  mar- 
riage with  Gouverneur.  But  when  we  study  all  the 
records  that  bear  upon  their  lives — when  we  see  that 
the  two  young  people  must  have  been  intimately  asso- 
ciated before  and  at  the  time  of  the  first  marriage, 
when  we  read  of  Gouverneur's  faithful  friendship  for 
Leisler's  son  and  of  his  active  devotion  to  Leisler's 
memory  and  to  the  interests  of  his  family,  and  then 
read  of  the  second  marriage — it  is  difficult  not  to 


VI II 


INTRODUCTION 


believe  that  the  facts  were  as  Mr.  Bates  has  assumed 
them  to  be.  They  are  so  probable  that  we  may  well 
feel  that  he  has  divined  rather  than  invented 
them. 

Inventions,  however,  are  certain  incidents  which 
Mr.  Bates  thought  essential  for  dramatic  effect 
toward  the  end  of  his  play.  Nicholas  Bayard  did 
not  suppress  a  reprieve  for  Leisler  sent  out  by 
King  William;  and  he  could  not  have  done  so, 
for  King  William  sent  no  reprieve.  Nor  did  Bayard 
assume  the  sheriff's  duty  in  taking  charge  of  the 
execution.  Moreover,  history  says  nothing  of  fare- 
well scenes  between  Leisler  and  his  family,  though 
probably  such  scenes  took  place,  and  nothing  of  Leis- 
ler's  peculiar  affection  for  his  little  daughter,  which 
adds  to  the  grim  tragedy  a  touch  of  poetic  pa- 
thos. 

These,  then,  are  the  main  alterations  that  the 
dramatist  has  worked  in  the  theme  with  which  his- 
tory supplied  him.  They  do  not  in  any  way  alter  the 
general  verity  of  his  version.  Judged  as  a  whole, 
the  play  is,  I  think,  a  true  picture  of  the  place  and 
the  time,  and  also  a  collection  of  individual  portraits 
as  veracious  as  our  scanty  information  permitted  him 
to  draw.  There  is  due  warrant  for  the  portrait  of 
Jacob  Milborne,  excepting,  of  course,  as  Mary  Leis- 
ler's  suitor.  There  is  ample  warrant  for  the  portrait 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

of  Nicholas  Bayard  as  the  "villain"  of  the  play,  as 
the  main  agent,  or,  at  least,  as  a  main  agent,  in 
bringing  about  the  death  of  Leisler  and  Milborne. 
And  his  character  is  but  little  darkened  by  the  inci- 
dents that  Mr.  Bates  has  imagined.  We  can  hardly 
doubt  that,  if  the  king  had  sent  a  reprieve,  Bayard 
would,  if  possible,  have  suppressed  it;  or  that  he 
would  gladly  have  put  the  rope  himself  about  Leis- 
ler's  neck. 

Leisler  is  a  more  complicated  character.  By  dif- 
ferent hands  he  has  been  very  variously  portrayed. 
But  after  a  long  and  thorough  study  of  all  the  avail- 
able material  relating  to  him  and  his  actions,  his 
friends  and  his  enemies,  I  had  framed  in  my  own 
mind  a  figure  very  like  the  one  that  Mr.  Bates 
shows  us. 

I  may  add  that  Mr.  Bates  has  done  wisely  in  ignor- 
ing certain  vague  claims  to  honor  that  have  been  put 
forth  for  Leisler  and  Milborne  by  enthusiastic  but 
uncritical  hero-worshippers.  A  patriot,  I  believe  with 
Mr.  Bates,  Jacob  Leisler  was,  but  certainly  not  in 
the  sense  acquired  by  the  term  after  the  middle  of 
the  eighteenth  century.  To  call  him,  as  he  has  been 
called,  a  "proto-martyr  of  the  Revolution"  is  absurd. 
In  the  New  York  of  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury there  was  no  thought,  there  could  be  no  thought, 
of  achieving  independence,  of  shaking  off  the  control 


INTRODUCTION 


of  the  crown  of  England.  The  only  question  in  dis- 
pute was,  Who  has  the  right  to  wear  the  crown  and, 
therefore,  the  right  to  the  loyalty  of  New  York? 
Leisler  and  his  friends  made  no  stand,  and  wished 
to  make  no  stand,  against  the  government  which  had 
just  acquired  power  in  England;  they  merely  labored 
to  resist,  in  support  of  this  government,  the  actual 
and  possible  claims  to  authority  of  the  king  it  had 
dethroned.  "Liberty"  meant  to  them  freedom  from 
the  yoke  of  the  Stuarts.  Moreover,  a  conscious  risk- 
ing of  life  for  conscience  sake  is  needed  to  make 
a  martyr,  and  nothing  was  farther  from  Leisler's 
mind  than  a  thought  that,  by  holding  New  York  for 
William  and  Mary,  he  risked  a  condemnation  for 
treason. 

Mr.  Bates  adheres  closely  to  the  truth  in  making 
devotion  to  William  and  Mary  the  main  fact  of 
Leisler's  career,  the  leading  motive  in  his  policy,  the 
guiding  star  of  his  conduct  at  every  step.  Whatever 
one  may  think  of  the  wisdom  of  his  course,  no  fair- 
minded  student  of  the  records  can  deny  his  unwaver- 
ing, passionate  loyalty  to  the  sovereigns  who  had  over- 
thrown the  despotic  and  "papistical"  James.  There- 
fore we  may  think  him  a  most  unfortunate  patriot, 
a  hapless  victim,  although  not  a  martyr  or,  still  less, 
a  "proto-martyr  of  the  Revolution." 

I  hope,  indeed,  that  Mr.  Bates's  drama  may  make 


INTRODUCTION  xi 

the  story  of  this  remarkable  American  more  familiar 
to  the  Americans  of  to-day  and,  by  awakening  their 
interest  in  one  of  the  picturesque  episodes  in  the  colo- 
nial history  of  New  York,  may  develop  a  more  gen- 
eral and  genuine  interest  in  that  history  as  a  whole. 

M.  G.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 


JACOB  LEISLER 

ACT  I.       The  Bowling  Green,  late  afternoon,  May 

3i,  1689. 

ACT  II.     The  same  scene,  an  autumn  morning,  1689. 
ACT  III.  A  Room  in  the  Fort,  the  night  of  March 

19,  1691. 

ACT  IV.  (i)  A  Room   in   Colonel   Bayard's  house, 
the  evening  of  May  14,  1691. 

(2)  A  Room  in  Leisler's  farmhouse,  early 

dawn,  May  16,  1691. 

(3)  Tableau:  Beginning  of  a  new  day. 
EPILOGUE — Dutch  garden  of  Van  Cortlandt  mansion, 

an  autumn  afternoon,  1695. 


CHARACTERS 

JACOB  LEISLER:  First  American  Governor  elected  by 
the  people. 

JACOB  LEISLER,  JR.  ['Cobus'j :  His  Son. 

ABRAHAM  GO.UVERNEUR:  Clerk  of  Leisler's  Com- 
mittee of  Safety. 

JACOB  MILBORNE:  Secretary  of  the  Province  under 
Leisler. 

JOOST  STOLL:    Ensign  in  Leisler's  Train  Band. 

STEPHANUS  VAN  CORTLANDT:  Mayor  and  Member 
of  the  Andros  Council. 

SIR  FRANCIS  NICHOLSON  :  Lef tenant-Governor  under 
Andros. 

ROBERT  LIVINGSTON:  Secretary  for  Indian  Affairs 
under  Andros. 

COL.  NICHOLAS  BAYARD:  Commander  of  the  Militia 
and  Member  of  the  Andros  Council. 

FREDERICK  PHILIPSE  :  Member  of  the  Andros  Coun- 
cil. 

WILLIAM  NICOLLS  :    Attorney-General  under  Andros. 

COL.  HENRY  SLOUGHTER:  Appointed  Governor  by 
William  III. 


4  JACOB  LEISLER 

MAJOR  RICHARD  INGOLDSBY  :    Captain  of  a  Company 
of  English  Grenadiers  sent  with  Sloughter. 

JOHN  PERRY:    Post-rider   between   New   York   and 
Boston. 

JOHN  RIGGS:     King  William's  Messenger. 

PERE  MILLET:    A  French  Priest  captured  by  Leisler. 

PETER:    Col.  Bayard's  servant. 

JOANNA  LIVINGSTON:  Sister  of  Robert  Livingston. 

ALICE  LEISLER:    Wife  of  Jacob  Leisler. 

MARY  LEISLER:     His  daughter. 

FRANCINA:     His  'baby.' 

FRAU  STOLL:    Wife  of  Joost  Stoll. 

Burghers,   Artisans,    Members  of   the  Train    Bands, 

English    Soldiers,    Sailors,   Indians,   an   Old 

Lamplighter,  Women  and  Children. 


JACOB   LEISLER 


ACT  I 

The  Bowling  Green  and  Fort,  New  York,  late  after- 
noon, May  31,  i68g.  Extending  across  the  scene  at 
the  rear  is  the  high  earthwork  wall  of  the  Fort,  in  its 
centre  the  wide  sallyport  with  heavy  double  gates 
swinging  outward  and  held  together  within  by  a  bar 
sliding  in  staples.  Over  the  gates  is  a  light  arch  bear- 
ing the  insignia  of  James  II,  the  letters  'J  R'  sur- 
mounted by  a  crown.  There  are  small  cannon  on  the 
wall,  the  muzzles  turned  toward  you.  In  front  on 
your  left  is  Leisler's  house,  its  gable  of  checkered  bricks 
fronting  the  street,  its  high  stoop  protected  by  a  rail- 
ing in  front  and  reached  by  several  steps  on  each  side, 
its  ancient  date  indicated  by  sprawling  wrought-iron 
figures  under  the  stepped  gable.  At  the  right  front 
is  another  quaint  old  house  with  dormer  windows. 
Over  the  wall  of  the  Fort  may  be  seen  the  tops  of  the 
Governor  s  house,  and  of  the  church,  with  a  glimpse 
of  the  bay  and  Narrows  beyond.  On  the  house  cor- 
ners and  suspended  from  the  arch  there  are  lanterns. 

First  is  heard  the  air  of  'Lilliburlero,'  then  confused 

IS 


6  JACOB  LEISLER 

shouting,  merging  into  the  singing  of  this  fateful  his- 
toric song  (see  notes),  during  which  Joost  Stoll,  a 
burly  Dutch  innkeeper,  is  seen  coming  from  the  right, 
while  a  red-coated  sentinel  paces  back  and  forth  in 
front  of  the  sallyport. 

STOLL 

[Pompously  to  a  burgher  who  runs  in  from  the 
left. 

Is  not  yon  horseman  beset  by  the  mob  John  Perry, 
post-rider  from  Boston? 

BURGHER 

Aye,  Ensign  Stoll,  and  he  brings  great  news — they  of 
Boston  have  clapped  Governor  Andros  in  gaol. 

STOLL 

Bid  him  dismount  and  come  hither  to  me! 

[The  burgher  obeys,  the  turmoil  recommences, 
and  Stoll  preens  himself  until  Perry  appears, 
carrying  his  post-bag  and  surrounded  by  peo- 
ple who  importune  him — artisans  bearing 
the  implements  of  their  trades,  bare-headed 
shopkeepers,  sailors,  women,  children,  and  an 
Indian  or  two.  The  crowd  increases  momen- 
tarily. Several  wear  bows  of  orange  ribbon. 


JACOB  LEISIER  7 

STOLL 

Stand  fast,  John  Perry,  and  deliver  me  your  news! 
I  am  Joost  Stoll,  Ensign  of  Captain  Leisler's  train 
band — Peace,  fellows,  while  the  post-rider  purports 
me  his  message ! — Thou  sayest  they  of  Boston  have  im- 
prisoned Sir  Edmund  Andros? 

PERRY 

Aye,  just  that.     And  Edward  Randolph  and  others, 
his  Councillors,  with  him. 
[The  crowd  cheers. 

STOLL 

Peace,  peace,  I  tell  ye!  The  Governor  is  certainly  in 
gaol? 

PERRY 

With  my  own  eyes  I  saw  him  placed  there. 

STOLL 

Then  /  say  he  is  a  rogue  and  a  tyrant. 

CROWD 
Aye,  aye,  that  he  is. 


STOLL 

And  is  it  confirmed  that  the  Prince  of  Orange  hath 
surely  come  to  England  with  his  army? 

PERRY 

Aye,   and  King  James  fled  away  to  France  without 
striking  a  blow. 

CROWD 

Hip,  hip,  huzzay  for  the  Prince  of  Orange!     Huzzay 

for  King  William  and  Queen  Mary! 

[There  is  a  sudden  hush  as  Van  Cortlandt  and 
Bayard  appear  from  the  right.  Mayor  Van 
Cortlandt  is  a  middle-aged  man,  of  elegant 
and  courtly  bearing  and  attire,  suave  and 
diplomatic,  accustomed  to  command,  an  aristo- 
crat of  aristocrats.  He  wears  a  periwig  with 
flowing  ringlets.  Col.  Bayard  is  a  younger 
man,  vivacious,  imperious,  and  quick-tem- 
pered, fond  of  display,  deferential  to  superiors, 
but  haughty  to  inferiors.  He  wears  the  uni- 
form of  a  colonel  of  militia. 

VOICES 

Sh-h-h-h!      Here  comes  Col.  Bayard!     Col.   Bayard 
and  Mayor  Van  Cortlandt! 
[  The  crowd  falls  back. 


JACOB  LEISLER 


BAYARD 


Now,  now,  fellows,  who  set  on  this  disturbance — and 
wherefore  ? 

STOLL 

Here  is  come  John  Perry,  post-rider  from  Boston, 
Colonel,  to  say  the  inhabitants  of  those  parts  have  put 
his  Excellency  in  gaol. 

BAYARD 

You  may  speak,  sirrah. 

PERRY 

It  is  even  so,  Col.  Bayard. 

BAYARD 

Mayor  Van  Cortlandt,  this  seems  serious.  Stay  you 
here  and  disperse  the  rabble,  and  I  will  bring  Leften- 
ant-Governor  Nicholson  and  our  friends  Philipse  and 
Nicolls  to  confer  with  us. 

[He  hurries  away,  right. 

VAN    CORTLANDT 

Now,  good  friends,  back  to  your  workshops,  your 
stores,  and  your  ships!  His  Honor,  the  Lef tenant- 


io  JACOB  LEISLER 

Governor,  is  coming  to  sift  this  extraordinary  surprisal, 
and  \ve  must  not  anger  him  with  any  confusion. 

VOICES    FROM   THE  CROWD 

Out  upon  Andros  and  King  James,  too!  Huzzay  for 
the  Prince  of  Orange!  We  are  betrayed  to  the 
French ! 

VAN    CORTLANDT 

[Busily  but  gently  urging  them  away,  right  and 
left. 

Sh-h-h-h !  Sh-h-h-h !  Peace,  peace,  good  fellows !  No 
insolences !  No  disorders !  We  must  not  lend  our  ears 
to  wild  rumors.  His  Honor  is  coming — nothing  scur- 
rilous! Ensign  Stoll,  your  good  frau  is  seeking  you. 
Peter  King,  you  have  not  finished  my  garden  wall. 
Jacob  Teller,  is  not  your  ship  off  for  the  Barbadoes 
to-day  ? 

[To  Perry,  who  starts  to  go. 
Stay  you  here,  Perry;  his  Honor  would  question  you. 

[The  crowd  slowly   disperses,  grumbling  and 
sullen. 
Bring  you  letters  for  Lef tenant-Governor  Nicholson? 

PERRY 

[Offering  letters. 
From  Sir  Edmund  Andros  himself. 


JACOB  LEISLER  1 1 

[Bayard  returns  with  Nicholson,  Philipse  and 
Nicolls.  Nicholson  is  a  young  man  of  parts, 
overburdened  with  a  position  beyond  his  ex- 
perience, vain  and  prone  to  rash  decisions.  He 
wears  the  uniform  of  a  British  colonel.  Phil- 
ipse is  aged,  dignified,  conservative,  crafty. 
Nicolls  is  a  spirited  youth,  proud  of  his  legal 
lore,  scholarship,  and  gallantry,  and  foppish  in 
dress  and  demeanor.  All  wear  wigs. 

VAN    CORTLANDT 

[Handing  letter  to  Nicholson. 
Sir  Francis,  here  is  matter  for  concern. 

NICHOLSON 

[To  Perry,  after  a  hasty  glance  over  the  letter. 
You  had  this  from  the  hand  of  Sir  Edmund  Andros? 

PERRY 

No,  your  Honor;  it  comes  by  sufferance  of  Captain 
Winthrop.  His  Excellency  hath  not  liberty  of  speech 
with  any  one. 

NICHOLSON 

Wherefore  ? 

PERRY 

Because  he  is  held  an  enemy  to  the  Prince  of  Orange. 


12  JACOB  LEISLER 

NICHOLSON 

You  have  declared  such  ill  reports  hereabouts? 

BAYARD 

Aye,  that  he  hath,  to  the  disordering  of  the  rabble, 
which  I  have  just  dispersed. 

NICHOLSON 

[His  sword  point  at  Perry's  breast. 
Hark  ye,  sirrah!    His  Majesty,  King  James,  yet  rules 
in   this  his   Province  of   New  York,   and   one  word 
more  of  this  Boston  treason  shall  be  your  last.     Now 
go,  and  await  our  packet  to  his  Excellency! 

[Perry  bows  humbly,  and  disappears. 
Gentlemen,  these  rumors  from   England  are  bearing 
fruit.     His  Excellency  writes  that  the  malcontents  of 
Boston  have  indeed  shut  him  up  in  the  Fort,  and  set 
up  a  government  of  their  own. 

BAYARD 

Does  he  credit  the  report  that  the  Prince  of  Orange 
hath  invaded  England? 


JACOB  LEISLER  13 


NICHOLSON 


He  fears  it  may  be  true — but  not  I.  Why,  the  very 
'prentice  boys  of  London  would  drive  him  out  should 
he  land! 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

Our  burghers  here  in  New  York  are  less  loyal — your 
Honor  must  have  heard  them  but  now  cheering  for 
the  Prince  of  Orange. 

NICHOLSON 

That  must  be  looked  to.  I  shall  rely  upon  you,  Mayor 
Van  Cortlandt,  to  keep  the  rabble  quiet,  and  upon 
you,  Col.  Bayard,  to  have  the  train  bands  ready  to  put 
down  open  outbreak. 

PHILIPSE 

If  your  Honor  will  permit  me,  I  think  we  should 
move  with  caution  in  this  matter.  If  it  should  prove 
true  that  his  Majesty  hath  fled  to  France,  and  that 
the  French  King  doth  intend  war  against  England  in 
his  behalf,  our  burgher  soldiery  will  prove  but  ill  re- 
liance in  King  James's  cause. 

NICHOLSON 

What  say  you  to  that,  Col.  Bayard  ? 


14  JACOB  LEISLER 


BAYARD 

They  are  insubordinate  of  my  authority,  with  many 
jealousies  respecting  the  French  and  Indians. 

[Robert  Livingston  and  Miss  Livingston  ap- 
pear from  the  right.  He  is  middle-aged,  tall, 
arrogant,  self-willed,  and  icily  impertinent,  a 
man  of  so  much  force  he  seldom  condescends 
to  be  affable.  His  sister  is  a  post-Elizabethan 
or,  if  you  prefer,  a  proto-suffragette. 

NICHOLSON 

Nicolls,  you  are  lately  from  Albany — what  say  they 
of  the  Indians? 

NICOLLS 

There  are  wild  rumors  afloat.  Our  Indians  have  been 
told  Governor  Andros  hath  plotted  to  betray  them  to 
the  French.  But  Mr.  Livingston,  here,  is  but  just 
come  from  the  north  with  his  sister.  As  Secretary  of 
Indian  Affairs,  he  can  speak  by  the  book. 

NICHOLSON 

Mr.  Livingston,  you  visit  New  York  in  good  season. 
Miss  Livingston,  I  salute  you.  Have  you  heard  the 
news? 


JACOB  LEISLER  15 

[Livingston  bows  formally  to  those  present, 
while  Nicolls  goes  to  Miss  Livingston  and  ac- 
costs her  gallantly. 


LIVINGSTON 

One  must  needs  hear  what  Boston  hath  done  when 
New  York  is  buzzing  it.  But  if  the  Prince  of  Orange 
hath  gone  into  England  with  his  parcel  of  rebels,  let 
him  see  how  he  gets  out  again!  He  will  come  to  the 
same  end  Monmouth  did. 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

He  will  find  there  as  good  soldiers  as  he  takes. 

NICHOLSON 

Bravely  spoken,  Miss  Livington! 

[To  Livingston. 

But  where  will  our  Indians  stand  in  case  of  war  with 
the  French? 

LIVINGSTON 

Leave  them  to  me,  but  look  to  your  own  rebellious 
burghers  here!  Every  street-corner  is  a  hustings  for 
proclaiming  treason  to  his  Majesty. 


1 6  JACOB  LEISLER 


NICHOLSON 

With  his  Excellency  in  gaol  and  but  a  handful  of  sol- 
diers to  depend  upon,  I  am  sore  perplexed. 

LIVINGSTON 

There  are  your  train  bands? 

NICHOLSON 

Made  up  of  the  rabble  and  insubordinate  to  Col. 
Bayard. 

LIVINGSTON 

But  they  follow  their  captains,  do  they  not?  Is  there 
not  some  one  of  authority  and  influence  with  them  ? 

NICHOLSON 

I  know  not.  Col.  Bayard,  who  among  the  officers  of 
the  train  bands  hath  most  their  confidence? 

BAYARD 

Jacob  Leisler,  your  Honor,  their  senior  captain. 

NICHOLSON 

Oh,  that  Dutch  boor,  who  refused  to  pay  duty  on  his 
cargo  of  wines  because  Collector  Plowman  is  a  Cath- 
olic? 


JACOB  LEISLER  17 


VAN  CORTLANDT 

[Warmly. 

No  Dutchman,  Sir  Francis,  only  a  German,  who  came 
here  from  Frankfort  as  a  soldier  of  the  West  India 
Company,  so  poor  that  he  owed  for  his  musket.  But 
he  married  a  rich  widow,  and  now  he  hath  houses  and 
ships  at  command. 

NICHOLSON 

But  will  he  help  us  uphold  Governor  Andros? 

BAYARD 

He  may  remember  that  his  Excellency  shut  him  up  in 
gaol  some  years  ago,  when  he  and  one  Jacob  Milborne 
had  the  Duke  of  York's  priest,  Dominie  Van  Rens- 
selaer,  tried  for  heresy  because  they  thought  the  Duke 
was  trying  to  curtail  'the  rights  of  the  people.' 

LIVINGSTON 

Scant  reason  that,  Col.  Bayard!  You  were  in  gaol, 
too,  for  a  similar  reason,  about  that  time. 

BAYARD 

I  spoke  for  my  class,  Mr.  Livingston,  but  not  for  the 
rabble,  as  this  Leisler  did.  He  is  a  dangerous  fellow — 
I  have  myself  heard  him  declare  that  the  day  will 


1 8  JACOB  LEISLER 

come  when  the  people — the  common  people — will  rule 
themselves ! 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

What  say  you,  Sister  Joanna?  You  are  partial  to 
these  Leislers. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Perhaps  if  Col.  Bayard's  family  had  been  driven  from 
home,  as  was  Captain  Leisler's,  he  might  have  more 
toleration  for  Captain  Leisler's  Utopian  dreams.  Be- 
sides, if  you  wish  to  control  the  people,  can  you  do 
better  than  choose  a  messenger  they  confide  in? 


VAN  CORTLANDT 

[Shaking  his  finger  gayly  at  her. 
Chop-logic,  Joanna,  and  yet,  for  once,  a  woman  speaks 
wisely. 

[To  Nicholson. 

I  have  personal  reasons  for  disliking  the  fellow — we 
are  distantly  related,  and  he  hath  advantaged  of  me 
in  business  matters.  Moreover,  he  is  of  rude  speech 
and  swears  like  a  pirate,  in  spite  of  his  piety;  but  if 
he  may  be  won  over,  it  will  go  far  towards  keeping 
the  people  in  order. 


JACOB  LEISLER  19 


PHILIPSE 


I  have  had  dealings  with  this  man,  your  Honor.  He 
is  of  good  repute  as  a  merchant,  and  hath  especial  in- 
fluence with  the  Huguenots,  whom  he  hath  befriended 
and  whose  language  he  speaks. 

BAYARD 

Aye,  truly,  and  cunning  of  hand  in  graving  upon  gold 
and  silver — a  jack-of -all-trades — except  gentility! 

NICHOLSON 

Where  can  he  be  come  at  ? 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

{Indicating  Leisler's  house. 
He  should  be  at  home  at  this  hour. 

NICHOLSON 

Col.  Bayard,  will  you  ask  his  attendance  upon  us? 

BAYARD 

I  beg  your  Honor's  indulgence,  but  Capt.  Leisler  hath 
shown  me  such  disrespect  that  I  fear  I  should  be  but 
an  ill  messenger. 


2O  JACOB  LEISLER 


NICHOLSON 

Mr.  Nicolls,  if  Miss  Livingston  can  spare  you  for  his 
Majesty's  service  a  moment,  I  pray  you  summon  Capt. 
Leisler  hitiier. 

NICOLLS 

[Bowing  low  to  Miss  Livingston. 
I  trust  his  Majesty  will  appreciate  my  sacrifice. 

[He  goes  to  Leisler's  house,  and  knocks  upon 
the  door.     Frau  Leisler  opens  its  upper  half. 
Nicolls  makes  her  an  over-elaborate  bow,  and 
asks,  with  exaggerated  courtesy: 
Do  I  address  Frau  Leisler? 

FRAU   LEISLER 

[Emerging  upon  the  stoop,  with  repeated  curt- 
seys, troubled  and  confused. 
Oh,  yes,  your  worship,  I  am  Frau  Leisler. 

NICOLLS 

Then,  may  I  make  so  bold  as  to  inquire  if  Captain 
Leisler  is  within? 

FRAU  LEISLER 

Yes,  yes,  he  is  at  home. 


JACOB  LEISLER  21 


NICOLLS 

[With  more  bows. 

I  am  profoundly  sorry  to  trouble  you,  Frau  Leisler, 
but  you  will  place  me  under  eternal  obligation,  Frau 
Leisler,  if  you  will  inform  Capt.  Leisler  that  his 
Honor,  Leftenant-Governor  Nicholson,  craves  the 
boon  of  present  speech  with  him,  Frau  Leisler. 

FRAU   LEISLER 

[Bewildered  and  apprehensive. 

Is  there  some  troubles?  He  will  pay  the  duty  on  his 
wines,  yes — he  has  the  money,  yes — but  when  another 
Collector  is  appointed,  yes. 

NICOLLS 

I  do  humbly  beg  leave  to  assure  you,  Frau  Leisler,  in 
foro  conscientue,  that  his  Honor  merely  wishes  to  avail 
himself  of  the  inestimable  advantage  of  the  counsel  and 
assistance  of  your  worthy  husband  on  a  matter  of  State. 
Believe  me,  Frau  Leisler,  non  latet  anguis  in  herba, 
Frau  Leisler. 

[Jacob  Leisler  suddenly  steps  from  the  door. 
He  is  of  robust  figure,  formidable  and  austere 
visage,  carelessly  dressed,  a  forceful  and  iras- 
cible personage,  but  with  an  underlying  sug- 


22  JACOB  LEISLER 

gestion  of  grim  humor  and  deep  feeling.  He 
speaks  explosively,  with  a  pronounced  German 
accent. 

LEISLER 

You  want  me? 

NICOLLS 

[His  manner  changing  to  real  deference. 
Yes,  Captain   Leisler,  his  Honor  wishes  to  see  you. 
[He  returns  to  Miss  Livingston. 

LEISLER 

[To  Frau  Leisler,  pointing  over  his  shoulder 
with  his  thumb. 
Herein ! 

[She  goes  quickly  into  the  house,  and  Leisler 
descends  to  Nicholson. 
Well,  Sir? 

NICHOLSON 

[  Conciliatingly. 

Capt.  Leisler,  ill  news  hath  just  reached  me  from  Gov- 
ernor Andros;  they  of  Boston  have  shut  him  up  in  the 
fort,  and  we  of  his  Council  here  wish  your  advice  as 
to  how  our  own  people  may  best  be  kept  in  peace  and 
quietness. 

LEISLER 
You  wish  my  advice? 


JACOB  LEISLER  23 


NICHOLSON 

Yes. 

LEISLER 

How  to  make  peace  and  quietness  for  these  people? 


NICHOLSON 
[Eagerly. 
Yes,  Captain  Leisler. 

[All  turn  towards  Leisler  in  expectation. 

LEISLER 

Then  my  advice  is  that  you  go  to  Boston,  too — all  of 
you. 

[They  recoil  in  anger. 

BAYARD 

Captain    Leisler,    this    insufferable    insolence    to    his 

Honor 

PHILIPSE 

Softly,  softly,  Col.  Bayard!  Capt.  Leisler,  you  are  a 
merchant  of  large  holdings,  a  deacon  in  the  church, 
and  a  man  to  whom  your  fellow  burghers  look  for 
wise  and  calm  counsel  in  these  troublous  times.  Surely 
you  can  suggest  some  prudent  way  for  allaying  the 
disorders  of  the  town? 


24  JACOB  LEISLER 


LEISLER 

[Quietly. 
Yes,  there  is  another  way — a  better  way. 


NICHOLSON 
[Anxiously. 
And  that  is? 

LEISLER 

That  you  proclaim  William  and  Mary  King  and 
Queen  here,  as  they  have  been  proclaimed  in  Eng- 
land, and  [pointing  to  insignia  over  the  gates}  tear 
down  that  Jacobite  sign  over  the  sallyport. 


NICHOLSON 

[Losing  control  of  himself. 
Never,  Sir,  never ! 

[He  takes  a  document  from   his  pocket   and 
shakes  it  at  Leisler. 

There  is  my  commission,  signed  by  his  sacred  Majesty, 
King  James — I  will  stand  or  fall  by  that. 


LEISLER 

Is  it  countersigned  by  Louis  XIV? 


JACOB  LEISLER  25 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

[Mildly. 
We  are  all  loyal  Englishmen  here,  Capt.  Leisler. 

LEISLER 

Ach,  so!  But  'we  all'  uphold  Louis's  Jacobite  King, 
and  [indicating  Nicholson]  his  Honor  did  command 
a  regiment  of  Irish  Papists,  and  keeps  in  office  the 
Papist  Collector  Plowman,  and  [indicating  Van  Cort- 
landt]  our  two-faced  Mayor  [illustrating}  throws  his 
periwig  into  the  air  when  the  Catholic  Prince  of  Wales 
is  born. 

NICHOLSON 

[Passionately. 

Whomever  I  did  command,  I  will  sooner  set  the  town 
on  fire  than  be  commanded  by  such  as  you.  Gentle- 
men, return  you  to  the  council  chamber  to  con- 
sider this  matter!  Mayor  Van  Cortlandt,  do  you  sum- 
mon the  aldermen,  members  of  the  common  council, 
and  military  officers  to  meet  us  there!  Col.  Bayard, 
you  will  come  with  me  to  the  Fort  to  make  that  se- 
cure. Mr.  Livingston,  we  shall  expect  you. 

[Leisler  whirls  upon  his  heel  and  goes  to  his 
doorway. 

You  see,  Captain  Leisler,  we  are  not  going  to  Boston — 
not — just — yet/ 


26  JACOB  LEISLER 

LEISLER 

Well,  don't  go  to  Boston — go  to  hell ! 

[Leisler  disappears  into  his  doorway;  after  a 
moment  of  consternation,  Nicholson  waves  his 
hand  imperiously,  and  darts  into  the  Fort,  fol- 
lowed by  Bayard,  while  Van  Cortlandt  hur- 
ries out  left,  and  Philipse  and  Nicolls  right. 

LIVINGSTON 

If  I  commanded  here,  that  German  boor  would  go  to 
gaol. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Quite  so,  brother!  And  if  he  commanded  here,  you 
would  go  to — Boston. 

LIVINGSTON 

His  insolence  to  his  Honor  passeth  patience. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Was  it  worse  in  kind  than  that  of  Mr.  Nicolls  to  poor 
Frau  Leisler? 

LIVINGSTON 

Joanna,  I  understand  not  your  tolerance  for  these 
Leislers.  They  are  enemies  to  his  Majesty,  and  un- 
worthy of  your  condescension. 


JACOB  LEISLER  27 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Curtseying. 

Capt.  Leisler's  pretty  daughter  hath  flattering  rever- 
ence for  that  great  lady  your  sister — 'Jacobite'  though 
she  be. 

LIVINGSTON 

And  Capt.  Leisler's  pretty  son  hath  even  more  flatter- 
ing reverence,  I  hear. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Oh,  'a  cat  may  look  at  a  king.'  Besides,  the  youth 
hath  better  manners  than  his  father.  Moreover,  if  he 
had  not  pulled  me  out  of  the  Hudson  when  my  canoe 
upset,  you  might  have  been  at  expense  for  a  spreading 
tablet  recounting  my  many  amiable  qualities  and  un- 
timely end. 

[Mary  Leister  and  Abraham  Gouverneur  saun- 
ter in,  close  together,  from  the  left.  They 
are  prepossessing  young  people,  of  about  the 
same  age. 

LIVINGSTON 

One  word  had  sufficed  for  thy  epitaph — 'vixen!'  But 
his  Honor  awaits  me,  and  so  I  leave  you  to  your  Dutch 
friends. 

[He  strides  off  right. 


28  JACOB  LEISLER 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Come  hither,  Mary  Leisler,  and  give  an  account  of 
yourself! 

MARY 

[Going  shyly  to  Miss  Livingston,  and  kissing 
her  extended  hand. 

It  hath  been  long,  Madam,  since  you  favored  these 
parts  with  your  gracious  presence. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Kissing  Mary  affectionately  on  both  cheeks. 
The  longer  to  me,  child,  that  it  hath  hid  thy  pretty 
face  from  me.     But,  come  now,  who  is  this  jonkheer 
who  casts  such  worshipful  eyes  at  Mary  Leisler's  feet? 

MARY 

No  jonkheer,  Madam,  but  a  Huguenot  refugee  my 
father  hath  befriended.  He  hath  much  schooling, 
knoweth  all  three  languages  perfectly,  and  writes  most 
clerkly. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

And,  if  I  mistake  not,  he  hath  some  lore  in  reading  a 
maid's  eyes. 


JACOB  LEISLER  29 

MARY 

May  I  present  him  to  you,  Madam  ? 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Surely. 

MARY 

[To  Abraham,  who  has  lingered  afar. 
Abraham  Gouverneur,  you  may  approach  and  pay  your 
respects  to  Miss  Livingston. 

[He  comes  and  makes  a  low  bow. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

I  am  told,  Sir,  you  are  a  subject  of  Louis  XIV? 

GOUVERNEUR 

Then,   Madam,  you  have  been  misinformed — not  of 
Louis,  but  of  William  and  Mary. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

So  you  are  resolved  to  be  a  rebel,  whether  at  home 
or  abroad? 

GOUVERNEUR 

Madam,  when  kings  conspire,  they  should  remember 
their  subjects  look  to  them  for  example. 


30  JACOB  LEISLER 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Shall  the  clay  presume  to  judge  the  potter's  hand? 

GOUVERNEUR 

The  clay  is  God's  clay,  and  the  hand  that  fashions  it 
oweth  like  fealty  to  God. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Master  Gouverneur,  the  head  that  gendereth  a  wit  so 
nimble  too  well  becomes  your  shoulders  to  risk  it  for 
this  Dutch  William,  and  as  [indicating  Mary]  for 
your  Queen  Mary,  I  think  she  standeth  here. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Amen  to  that  last,  Madam! 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

And  now,  Sir,  if  you  will  pardon  us,  I  would  have  a 
word  with  this  same  maid. 

[Gouverneur  bows  and  retreats. 

Remember,  Mary  needeth  your  head  more  than  Wil- 
liam! 

GOUVERNEUR 

Madam,  it  belongs  to  both. 

[He  bows  himself  out,  left. 


JACOB  LEISLER  31 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Child,  child,  we  are  fallen  upon  troublous  times. 
Here  was  your  father  but  now,  telling  the  Leftenant- 
Governor  and  all  the  rest  of  us  to  go  to  Boston,  where 
they  have  imprisoned  his  Excellency,  and  [with  an 
imitation  of  Leisler's  manner}  he  finally  consigned  us 
to  an  even  worse  place,  while  here  comes  this  comely 
youth  with  his  glib  treason.  The  town  seems  to  have 
gone  mad. 

[Her  hands  upon  Mary's  shoulders. 
Are  you,  too,  a  traitor  to  his  Majesty? 

MARY 

Madam,  I  know  little  of  such  matters. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

And  your  brother,   Cobus,  he  also  holdeth   for  the 

Prince  of  Orange,  I  dare  be  sworn? 

[Jacob  Leisler,  Jr.,  conies  gayly  in  from  the 
right.  He  is  modish  in  attire,  and  courtly  in 
bearing,  the  antithesis  of  his  father. 

MARY 

I  think  he  doth.  But  here  he  is — tax  him  for  your- 
fcelf! 


32  JACOB  LEISLER 


MISS   LIVINGSTON 

[Holding  out  her  hand  to  Cobus. 
Well,  Sir,  where  is  your  bow  of  orange  ribbon? 

COBUS 

[As  he  kisses  her  hand. 

Madam,  the  very  sky  has  turned  from  Stuart-white  to 
the  golden  glow  that  heralds  a  new  day. 

[An  allusion  to  the  sunset  light  that  now  floods 
the  scene. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Say  rather  that  heralds  the  night  of  turmoil  and  dis- 
order! 

MARY 

Token  that  my  mother  hath  need  of  me.  Cobus,  you 
will  escort  Miss  Livingston  to  Mayor  Van  Cortlandt's. 
You  are  guests  of  your  brother-in-law,  are  you  not  ? 

MISS   LIVINGSTON 

Yes,  child.  Come  to  me  there  to-morrow  [kissing  her} 
and  do  your  endeavor  to  keep  Master  Abraham's  head 
on  his  shoulders! 

MARY 

Madam,  I  will. 

[She  runs  into  the  house. 


JACOB  LEISLER  33 

MISS   LIVINGSTON 

You  saved  my  life  once,  Master  Cobus;  I  would  do 
you  like  service  now — keep  you  clear  of  this  Dutch 
plot! 

COBUS 

My  life  is  of  small  worth  weighed  against  your  dis- 
favor— and  yet  I  may  best  serve  you  by  being  disloyal 
to  you  in  this. 

MISS   LIVINGSTON 

Speak  not  of  disloyalty  to  me, — it  is  your  King  who 
hath  right  to  your  allegiance. 

[Sweetly. 
And  yet,  if  you  really  care  what  I  think 

COBUS 

How  should  a  man  without  honor  hope  for  grace  at 
honor's  shrine? 

MISS   LIVINGSTON 

Words,  words,  words — it  is  ever  the  man's  way  to 
cajole  us  with  words.  Now,  if  I  were  a  man 

COBUS 

If  you  were  a  man  you  would  not  tempt  a  poor  deni- 
zen of  earth  with  vision  of  Elysium. 


34  JACOB  LEISLER 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Master  Leisler,  I  like  better  your  father's  sincere  pro- 
fanity than  your  profane  sincerity. 
[She  starts  away  haughtily. 

COBUS 

[Folloiuing  her. 

Miss  Livingston's  censure  is  more  precious  than  an- 
other's praise. 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

Will  you  have  done,  Sir!  So  many  sweetmeats  will 
spoil  my  relish  for  Madam  Van  Cortlandt's  supper. 

[They  disappear  right,  still  wrangling.  The 
scene  has  been  growing  dark,  and  is  now 
left  vacant  a  moment  until  the  old  lamplighter 
appears  and  proceeds  to  light  the  lanterns.  As 
he  goes  out,  Frau  Stoll,  a  child  clinging  to  her 
skirts,  comes  from  the  left. 

FRAU  STOLL 

[Looking  about  her. 

Oh,  that  wander-foot,  Joost  Stoll — he  hath  been  over- 
loopen  the  town  the  whole  blessed  afternoon,  and  me 
with  the  inn  to  keep,  and  the  bar  to  tend,  and  the  chil- 


JACOB  LEISLER  35 

dren  to  look  after.  God  pity  a  poor  wife  who  hath 
a  pot-house  politician  for  a  husband ! 

[Stoll  is  heard  singing  'Lilliburlero.' 
There  he  is  now — drunk  as  usual! 

[Shaking  her  fist. 

Oh,  you  villain,  you  sot — wait  until  I  get  my  hands 
on  you! 

STOLL 

[As  he  zig-zags   in  from  the  right — not  per- 
ceiving his  wife. 

Whoop,  huzzay  for  King  Mary  and  Queen  William! 
Who's  'fraid  of  ol'  Andros,  or  ol'  King  James,  or  ol' 
'ristocrats  ? 

[Sings: 

'Orange  boven,  de  witten  onder; 
Die't  anders  meend,  die  staat  der  donder.' 
{'The  orange  goes  up  and  the  white  under; 
Who  says  not  so  shall  be  shot,  by  thunder!1) 

FRAU  STOLL 

[In  a  terrible  voice. 
Joost  Stoll ! 

STOLL 

[Startled,    his    rampant    manner    changing    to 
wheedling  conciliation. 
Oh,  zere's  my  li'l  gode  vrouw,  Elishamet ! 


36  JACOB  LEISLER 

[Chucking  her  under  the  chin. 
Been  lookin'  for  you  everywhere,  Elishamet. 


FRAU  STOLL 


Yes,  everywhere — except  at  home,  where  I  belong,  and 
where  I  stay. 


STOLL 


\With  conviction. 
Ach,  donder!    Zha's  rhi' — nev'  thought  of  zhat! 


FRAU  STOLL 


[Seizing  him  by  the  arm. 

Now,  Sir,  I  want  to  know  what  you  have  been  doing, 
and  how  it  comes  you  are  drunk  so  early? 


STOLL 
[Proudly. 

Been  savin'  country.    Had  oF  Andros  shut  up  in  Bos- 
ton, and  kept  oF  Nicholson  from  settin'  town  on  fire. 


FRAU  STOLL 

Looks  more  like  you'd  been  trying  to  set  the  town  on 
fire  yourself. 


JACOB  LEISLER  37 

STOLL 

Awful  battle  at  the  Broadway  Gate,  but  I  saved  it,  an' 
now  I'm  goin'  to  take  train  bands  up  the  river  to  fight 
ol'  French  King  an'  his  Indians. 

[Confused  voices  are  heard  outside. 
Zere  zey  come  now. 

[Seeking  to  disengage  his  wife's  hold. 
Mus'  go  meet  French. 

FRAU  STOLL 

[Resolutely. 

No,  you'll  go  meet  your  children — if  you  have  the 
face  to. 

STOLL 

[His  hand  on  the  child's  head. 

Does  de  moeder  wan'  ol'  French  King  to  scalp  poor 
ii'F  Joost  Stoll's  Elishamet's  Annetje? 

FRAU  STOLL 

[Dragging  him  away. 

You  come  along  home  with  me,  and  see  who's  scalped 
when  I  get  you  there ! 

[They  all  go  away  left,  while  the  noise  and 
shouting  of  the  crowd  are  heard  from  the  op- 
posite direction.  Then  Stoll  darts  back. 


38  JACOB  LEISLER 

STOLL 

Hip,  whoop,  huzzay  for  Joost  Stoll,  an'  down  with  all 

'ristocrats  an'  Indians! 

[He  makes  a  corkscrew  flight,  and  has  almost 
escaped,  when  Frau  Stoll  bounces   in  again. 

FRAU  STOLL 

Joost  Stoll,  come  back  here! 

[The  roll  of  a  drum  is  heard. 

STOLL 

Mus'  go  save  country.    Don't  you  hear  country  callin' 
me? 

FRAU  STOLL 

Don't  you  hear  me  calling  you? 

STOLL 

[Meandering  toward  her  with  drunken  dignity. 
Ja,  ja,  liT  goede  vrouw  Elishamet,  I'm  comin'  home 
— straight. 

FRAU  STOLL 

[Grabs  him. 

No,  you're   not  coming  home  'straight' — but  you're 
coming  straight  home! 

[She  leads  him  away  once  more. 


JACOB  LEISLER  39 

SHOUTS 

Leisler,   Leisler!     Make   Leisler  come!     Capt.   Leis- 

ler's  the  man  to  lead  us. 

[The  crowd,  led  by  Gouverneur,  swarms  in 
from  the  right — sailors,  members  of  the  train 
bands  carrying  muskets,  burghers  bearing  lan- 
terns and  torches,  etc.  They  surround  Leis- 
ler's  door,  and  continue  their  calls  for  him. 

CROWD 

Leisler,     Leisler,    Leisler!      Leisler    shall    lead    us! 
Leisler  wouldn't  pay  duty  to  a  Papist  collector. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Now,   then,   everybody — hip,    hip,   huzzay   for   King 
William  and  Jacob  Leisler! 

CROWD 

Hip,  hip,  huzzay  for  King  William  and  Jacob  Leisler ! 
[Francina,  in  night-dress,  holding  a  lighted 
candle,  comes  out  upon  the  stoop.  She  is 
frightened  by  the  tumult  and  laughter  until 
Leisler  takes  her  up  in  his  arms  and  raises  his 
hand  for  quiet. 


40  JACOB  LEISLER 

LEISLER 

Maybe  I  am  mistake',  but  I  thought  I  heard  some- 
body call  for  Jacob  Leisler?  Well,  I  am  here.  You 
want  to  hang  me,  eh  ? 

LAUGHTER  AND  VOICES 

No,  hang  Nicholson  and  King  James!  We  want  you 
to  lead  us.  We  don't  want  the  town  burnt  and  our 
throats  cut. 

LEISLER 

But  what's  the  matter? 

GOUVERNEUR 

The  case  standeth  thus,  Captain  Leisler:  This  after- 
noon Leftenant  Cuyler,  in  command  of  Captain  De 
Peyster's  train  band  in  the  Fort,  was  censured  by  Lef- 
tenant-Governor  Nicholson  for  placing  a  sentinel  at 
the  eastward  sallyport.  And  when  Leftenant  Cuyler 
would  explain,  his  Honor  called  him  a  rogue,  threat- 
ened to  burn  the  town  and  turned  the  guns  of  the 
Fort  upon  us. 

CROWD 

He  holds  the  Fort  for  King  James !  Down  with  him ! 
Are  you  for  King  William  ? 


JACOB  LEISLER  41 


LEISLER 


My  friends,  I  saw  that  Prince  of  Orange  once — when 
he  was  a  boy — and  I  have  loved  him  ever  since.  He 
is  God's  King,  because  he  stands  for  liberty  to  worship 
God  and  serve  Him  in  freedom  from  tyranny. 


A    VOICE 

What  did  King  James  ever  do  for  New  York? 

[Frau  Leisler  and  Alary  come  out  to  learn  the 
cause  of  the  tumult. 

LEISLER 

[Handing  the  child  to  her  mother. 
I  will  tell  you,  my  friend,  what  that  King  James  did 
for  New  York.  When  he  was  the  Duke  of  York,  he 
let  us  tax  ourselves  and  make  our  own  laws.  That 
was  the  easiest  way  to  get  our  money.  But  when  he 
became  King  already,  he  took  away  our  General  As- 
sembly 'because  no  other  Province  had  one,'  and  he 
was  afraid  he  had  been  too  good  to  us. 

[Laughter  and  applause. 

When  he  was  the  Duke  of  York,  we  had  a  governor 
and  a  government  of  our  own.  When  he  became  the 
great  King  James,  he  made  us  tail  to  the  Boston  kite, 


42  JACOB  LEISLER 

carried  off  our  records  to  Boston,  and  sent  a  Gover- 
nor to  rule  us  from  Boston,  with  a  leftenant  here  to 
make  us  take  the  medicine  Boston  sent  us. 

[A  roar  of  approbation. 

When  he  was  the  Duke  of  York,  only  my  friend, 
Jacob  Milborne,  and  I  had  to  go  to  prison  to  worship 
God  in  freedom.  But  when  he  became  King  we  must 
all  go  to  mass.  And  now  that  he  is  gone  to  Paris,  his 
good  friend,  King  Louis,  has  promised  to  send  over 
an  army  to  carry  all  the  Huguenots  back  to  France 
and  drive  all  the  rest  of  us  into  the  woods.  How  you 
like  that,  eh  ? 

[The  crowd  answers  with  a  torrent  of  dissent, 
cries  of  'No,  no,  no!'  banging  of  musket-butts, 
and  waving  of  torches  and  swords.  Leisler, 
stilling  the  uproar,  goes  on: 

My  friends,  when  things  get  so  bad  as  they  can  be, 
then  men  cry  to  God  and  God  sends  relief.  When  the 
men  of  England  found  the  great  King  James  deter- 
mined to  rule  by  the  sword,  when  he  had  cut  off  Mon- 
mouth's  head,  and  sent  the  bishops  to  the  Tower,  then 
they  cried  out  to  that  Prince  of  Orange  over  the  water. 
They  thought  the  Stadtholder  who  had  opened  the 
Amsterdam  dykes  and  saved  the  Netherlands  from 
Louis  XIV  was  just  the  King  to  save  England  from 
that  Louis  XIV.  And  that  grandson  of  William  the 
Silent,  Founder  of  the  Dutch  Republic,  he  has  come 


JACOB  LEISLER  43 

to  England  to  save  England  from  Louis  and  the  Pope. 
Will  you  help  him? 

CROWD 

{With  a  roar. 

Aye,  aye,  aye !  William  and  Mary  for  England !  Wil- 
liam and  Mary  for  New  York! 

[Van  Cortlandt  and  Bayard  appear  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  crowd  at  the  right,  and  observe 
the  proceedings  disdainfully. 

LEISLER 

But,  my  friends,  we  have  here  in  New  York  some 
people  who  say  they  are  loyal  citizens — and  uphold 
King  James;  who  say  they  would  defend  New  York 
against  Louis — but  refuse  to  proclaim  William. 

[Pointing  suddenly  to  the  newcomers. 
And  there  stand  two  of  them  now! 

[Hostile  murmur  from  the  crowd. 

BAYARD 

Will  Captain  Leisler  permit  me  to  ask  who  appointed 
him  judge  of  those  who  govern  New  York? 

LEISLER 

God  has  appointed  every  citizen  of  New  York  the 
judge  of  those  who  govern  New  York- 


44  JACOB  LEISLER 

BAYARD 

No,  Captain  Leisler.  God  makes  it  the  duty  of  every 
loyal  citizen  and  good  Christian  to  submit  to  the  pow- 
ers that  be.  You,  Captain  Leisler,  and  you,  good 
people,  are  treading  upon  dangerous  ground — ground 
that  may  well  lead  to  the  gaol  and  the  scaffold — when 
you  set  yourselves  up  to  say  who  has  right  to  the 
throne  of  England,  when  you  condemn  his  Majesty's 
officers  because  they  are  not  swift  to  hail  his  successor. 
If,  indeed,  the  Prince  of  Orange  has  become  King,  we 
who  represent  England  here  will  proclaim  him  in  due 
season. 

[With  stern  authority. 

Meanwhile,  as  Colonel  of  his  Majesty's  militia,  I  or- 
der all  members  of  the  train  bands  here  present  to 
come  out  of  this  rabble  and  help  me  disperse  it. 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

As  Mayor  of  the  city,  I  counsel  and  command  you  to 
return  quietly  to  your  homes  and  cease  riotous  med- 
dling with  what  does  not  concern  you. 

[There  is  a  pause,  but  nobody  budges. 

LEISLER 

Well,  my  friends,  you  have  heard  the  command  of 
King  James's  Colonel  and  King  James's  Mayor,  and 


JACOB  LEISLER  45 

you  have  been  warned  about  King  James's  gaol  and 
scaffold.  Why  don't  you  disperse?  Are  you  waiting 
for  King  James  himself  to  come  over  from  France 
and  tell  you  to  go  home? 

[Laughter. 

Sometimes,  when  there  was  some  little  question  he  did 
not  care  to  bother  his  head  over,  the  great  King  James 
let  us  take  a  vote.  So  many  of  you  as  hold  for  King 
William,  say  'Aye.' 

CROWD 

[With  a  mighty  roar. 
Aye! 

LEISLER 

Those  for  King  James  say  'No.' 

[A  dead  silence  ensues. 
The  'Ayes'  seem  to  have  it. 

[Laughter. 

BAYARD 

Bah!    What  does  a  rabble's  'vote'  signify? 

LEISLER 

So  much,  Nicholas  Bayard,  that  the  kings  of  days  to 
come  will  sit  up  all  night  in  fear  and  trembling  to  find 
out  how  'the  rabble'  has  voted. 


46  JACOB  LEISLER 


BAYARD 

[In  a  fury. 

This  is  treason,  Captain  Leisler.  Leftenant-Governor 
Nicholson  shall  hear  of  it.  You  shall  swing  from  the 
Fort  gibbet! 

LEISLER 

Better  men  have  swung  in  a  worse  cause,  Nicholas. 
But,  my  friends,  have  you  nothing  to  say  about  this 
Leftenant-Governor  Nicholson,  who  is  to  hang  me 
from  the  Fort  gibbet?  Who  declares  to  me  he  will 
live  and  die  by  his  commission  from  King  James? 
Who  turns  the  guns  of  the  Fort  upon  the  town  when 
you  try  to  put  a  Protestant  garrison  there?  Do  you 
think  King  William's  Fort  should  be  held  by  King 
William's  enemies? 

CROWD 

[In  fervent  ensemble. 
No! 

LEISLER 

Then  why  don't  you  take  that  Fort  and  hold  it  for 
William  and  Mary? 

GOUVERNEUR 

That's  just  what  we're  going  to  do,  and  we  want  you 
to  lead  us. 


JACOB  LEISLER  47 

CROWD 

Aye,  aye !  We  want  you  to  lead  us.  That's  what  we 
came  for. 

LEISLER 

[Drawing  back. 

Ah,  sacaramund,  no,  no,  no — you  don't  want  old  Jacob 
Leisler.  He  is  not  educate'  or  [viewing  himself  rue- 
fully} good  to  look  at.  He  is  only  a  very  plain  man — 
just  like  you. 

[Pointing  out  persons  in  the  crowd. 
Why  not  Captain  De  Peyster,  or  Captain  Lodowick, 
or  Peter  De  La  Noy  ?    I  will  follow  any  of  them  with 
you. 

CRQWD 

No,  no,  no — we  want  you!  You  wouldn't  pay  duty 
to  a  Papist.  You  went  to  prison  with  Milborne. 
You're  not  afraid  of  Nicholson. 

LEISLER 

No,  my  friends,  old  Jacob  Leisler  does  not  care  for  his 
life  when  he  can  serve  God  and  his  country. 

[Putting  aside  his  wife  and  daughter,  who  seek 
to  detain  him,  he  rushes  down  to  take  com- 
mand of  the  crowd. 
And  so — if  it  must  be — come  on!    We  will  take  the 


48  JACOB  LEISLER 

Fort,  and  may  God  help  us  to  keep  it  for  King  Wil- 
liam and  the  people  of  New  York! 

[The  people  cheer  wildly,  and  gather  behind 
Leisler,  ready  to  follow  him. 
Mary,  bring  me  my  sword ! 

[Mary  goes  quickly  into  the  house. 
Captain  Lodowick,  go  you  with  a  guard  to  Leftenant- 
Governor  Nicholson,  at  the  Stadt  Haus,  and  demand 
the  keys  of  the  Fort!    Take  no  refusal!     [Indicating 
Van  Cortlandt  and  Bayard}  And  take  these  gentlemen 
with  you  to  tell  His  Honor  whence  comes  your  author- 
ity, and  how  the  people  have  voted  on  King  William! 
[Several  militiamen  swiftly  surround  Van  Cort- 
landt and  Bayard,  and  hurry  them,  resisting, 
away.    Bayard,  trying  to  draw  his  sword,  has 
it  taken  from  him. 


BAYARD 

This  is  an  outrage,  Captain  Leisler! 


LEISLER 

Oh,  no,  Nicholas — only  an  escort! 

[The  guard  rushes  Van  Cortlandt  and  Bayard 
away,  right.  Mary  comes  back,  bringing  Leis- 
ler's  hat  and  sword,  with  which  she  invests 


JACOB  LEISLER  49 

him.  He  kisses  her  and  waves  adieu  to  Frau 
Leisler,  who  goes,  with  Francina,  into  the 
house  in  tears. 


LEISLER 

Abraham,  stay  you  here  to  look  after  my  family! 
[Drawing  his  sword  and  pointing  to  gates. 

Now,  my  friends,  over  the  wall,  unbar  the  gates,  and 

down  with  that  Jacobite  sign ! 

[The  militiamen  cheer  and  rush  for  the  gates, 
with  roll  of  drums  and  brandishing  of  weapons 
and  torches.  The  sentinel  fires  off  his  musket 
and  runs  away.  A  burgher  with  a  rope  scales 
the  arch  over  the  gates,  and  loops  one  end  of 
it  over  the  insignia  of  King  James  at  its  sum- 
mit, throiuing  the  other  to  his  fellows  below, 
who,  with  a  pull  all  together,  bring  it  clatter- 
ing to  the  ground — a  precedent  for  the  pa- 
triots of  a  hundred  years  later,  who  similarly 
roped  down  the  statue  of  George  HI  on  this 
spot.  Meanwhile  other  militiamen  have  scaled 
the  gates,  and  after  a  brief  clash  of  swords 
and  the  firing  of  a  shot  or  two,  the  gates  are 
thrown  open  and  the  others  pour  in,  singing, 
'Lilliburlero.'  Leisler,  who  has  remained 
without,  directing  the  assault,  now  closes  the 


50  JACOB  LEISLER 

gates,  and,  after  posting  a  sentinel  outside 
them,  waves  a  triumphant  greeting  to  Gouver- 
neur  and  Mary,  and  disappears  within  the 
gates.  Gouverneur  holds  out  his  arms  to 
Mary,  and,  after  a  moment's  pause,  they  meet 
and  clasp  hands. 


ACT  II 

The  scene  is  the  same  as  that  of  Act  I,  but  the  in- 
signia of  King  James  over  the  gates  of  the  Fort  has 
given  place  to  that  of  William  and  Mary,  and  the 
muzzles  of  the  cannon  have  been  turned  toward  the 
bay.  The  time  is  an  autumn  morning  of  1689. 

A  militia  sentinel  is  discovered  pacing  back  and  forth 
across  the  closed  gates  of  the  sallyport.  Several  chil- 
dren are  passing,  single  file,  from  right  to  left,  with 
small  hand-barrows  and  baskets  containing  stones. 
Mary  Leisler  comes  from  the  house  in  semi-military 
dress. 

MARY 

Company,  attention!     Halt! 

[The  children  stop. 
Break  ranks! 

[The  children  leave  their  barrows  and  crowd 
about  her. 

Little  soldiers  of  King  William,  do  you  know  how 
many  loads  of  stones  you  have  brought  to  repair  his 
Fort  to-day?  One  hundred  loads.  Isn't  that  fine,  and 
won't  he  be  the  proud  King  when  he  hears  how  his 
dear  children  serve  him? 

51 


52  JACOB  LEISLER 

CHILDREN 

Huzzay  for  King  William  and  Captain  Mary  Leisler ! 
[They  join  hands  and  dance  about  Mary,  sing- 
ing : 

'King  William  is  King  James's  son, 
And  from  a  royal  race  is  sprung. 
Upon  his  breast  he  wears  a  star, 
As  he  rides  away  to  his  country's  war.' 

MARY 

[Laughingly  interrupting. 
No,  no,  no,  that's  an  old  Jacobite  song! 

CHILDREN 

[Dancing  and  singing  to  the  air  of  'Lillibur- 
lero.' 
'King  William's  soldiers  merry  are  we, 

Lilliburlero  bullen  a  la, 
Building  his  Fort  for  Captain  Marie, 

Lilliburlero  bullen  a  la. 

Lero,  lero,  lilliburlero,  lilliburlero  bullen  a  la, 
Lero,  lero,  lilliburlero,  lilliburlero  bullen  a  la.' 

COBUS 

[Behind  gates. 
Halt! 


JACOB  LEISLER  53 

[Crash  of  musket-butts  on  the  ground. 
Unbar  the  gates! 

MARY 

The  big  soldiers  are  coming,  and  we  must  not  block 

the  way.     Attention! 

[The  children  spring  back  to  their  places  at  the 
barrows. 

Forward  march! 

[The  children  go  out  left,  single  file.  The 
gates  are  thrown  open,  disclosing  a  squad 
of  militiamen  draivn  up  in  line  across  the  gate- 
way. The  sentinel  presents  arms,  as  Cobus 
marches  up  to  his  sister  and  gives  her  a  mili- 
tary salute.  He  is  in  uniform,  and  tucked  into 
his  sword-belt  is  a  document. 

MARY 

Good  morning,  Leftenant  Cobus.  Is  your  escort  for 
Master  Riggs,  King  William's  messenger? 

COBUS 

No,  Gouverneur  hath  been  sent  to  Col.  Bayard's  house 
to  bring  Master  Riggs  hither.  I  am  for  the  Broad 
Way  to  honor  the  arrival  of  father's  old  friend,  Jacob 
Milborne,  expected  from  Albany. 


54  JACOB  LEISLER 

MARY 

Who  is  he,  this  Jacob  Milborne? 

COBUS 

A  very  godly  and  instructed  man,  some  time  of  these 
parts,  but  of  late  years  much  in  England,  where  he 
affiliated  with  the  Puritans. 

MARY 

Alackaday,  how  solemn!    I'm  sure  I  shan't  like  him! 

COBUS 

Your  liking  or  disliking,  Mistress,  will  be  small  mat- 
ter to  him.  If  he  joins  with  us,  as  father  hopes  he 
may,  he  will  have  weightier  matters  to  consider  than 
a  maid's  fancy.  Besides,  he  is  a  middle-aged  widower, 
who  hath  long  since  put  frivolity  by. 

MARY 

And  your  long  face  this  morning  would  seem  to  say 
that  you,  too,  have  turned  Puritan. 

COBUS 

[Touching  the  document  at  his  belt. 
I  have  that  here  which  makes  me  wish  myself  behind 
prison  doors. 


JACOB  LEISLER  55 


MARY 

Another  warrant  of  arrest  for  some  one  we  know  ? 

COBUS 
[Low. 
For  Robert  Livingston! 

MARY 

Poor  Cobus!  I  pray  God  Master  Riggs  brings  King 
William's  warrant  for  all  our  father  hath  done  as 
Commander-in-Chief  of  this  perturbed  Province. 

COBUS 

And  yet  I  misdoubt  the  report  Leftenant-Governor 
Nicholson  gave  the  King  when  he  fled  away  to  Eng- 
land. 

[Miss  Livingston  comes  gayly  from  the  right, 
i 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Do  I  intrude  upon  a  council  of  war?  Yes,  I  see  by 
your  looks  I  do.  Well,  the  least  you  can  do  is  to 
arrest  me — most  of  the  decent  people  are  in  gaol. 

COBUS 

Madam,  your  presence  there  would  make  that  insti- 
tution altogether  too  popular. 


56  JACOB  LEISLER 

MARY 

He  was  just  saying  some  of  his  duties  make  him  wish 
himself  behind  prison  bars. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Be  patient!  King  James  is  already  back  in  Ireland, 
and  as  soon  as  he  reaches  Whitehall  your  wish  may 
be  granted. 

COBUS 

But,  alas,   Madam,  the  decree  that  put  me  in  gaol 

would  liberate  you! 

[Miss  Livingston  tiptoes  right  and  left,  making 
pretence  of  seeing  whether  anyone  is  listening; 
then,  taking  Mary  by  one  hand,  and  Cobus 
by  the  other,  she  leads  them  a  step  or  so  for- 
ward, and  asks  with  mock  concern: 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Tell  me,  now,  who  is  to  be  the  next  unwilling  guest 
of  the  Herr  Commander-in-Chief  ? 

x 

COBUS 

Would  you  convict  me  of  treason  to  King  William  as 
well  as  to  King  James? 


JACOB  LEISLER  57 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Snatching    the   document  from   his   belt  and 
dancing  off  with  it. 
Nay,  nay,  this  will  suffice ! 

[Eluding  the  pursuit  of  Cobus,  as  she  opens  and 

glances  over  the  document. 

'Warrant  of  arrest  for  Robert  Livingston.'  'Failure 
to  pay  taxes.'  'Jacobite!'  'Hath  spoken  disrespectful 
of  the  Herr  Commander-in-Chief  Leisler  and  of  the 
Herr  Prince  of  Orange.' 

[She  returns  the  paper  to   Cobus  with  a  low 
curtsey. 

That  he  hath,  I  dare  be  sworn,  for  he  speaks  disre- 
spectful of  everybody — and  pays  taxes  to  no  one. 


COBUS 

[Confused  and  distressed. 

Madam,  I  beg  you  to  believe  that  I  shall  find  it  very 
difficult  and  distressing  to  apprehend  your  brother. 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

So  you  will,  i'  faith,  for  he  is  well  on  his  way  to  Hart- 
ford— somewhat  beyond  the  Herr  Leisler's  jurisdic- 
tion, I  take  it. 


58  JACOB  LEISLER 

COBUS 
I  am  heartily  glad  to  hear  it. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

But  you  can  arrest  me — I  am  for  King  James,  whether 
my  brother  is  or  not. 

[She  sings  to  the  air  of  'When  the  King  Enjoys 
His  Own  Again    (see  notes)  : 

'Still  will  I  wait  till  the  waters  abate  which  most  dis- 
turb my  troubled  brain, 

For  I'll  never  rejoice  till  I  hear  that  voice,  that  the 
King  comes  home  in  peace  again.' 

COBUS 

If  I  could  imprison  your  will,  as  well  as  your  person, 
that  Jacobite  ditty  should  be  my  justification. 

[Drawing  his  sword  he  salutes  her;    then    to 
militiamen: 
Attention!    By  the  double  file,  march! 

[Cobus  marches  his  squad  off  right.     The  sen- 
tinel closes  the  gates. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Calling  after  him. 

Commend  me  to  my  brother — when  you  catch  him! 
[Comes  to  Mary  and  embraces  her. 


JACOB  LEISLER  59 

Child,  child,  I  could  die  of  laughter  at  all  this  military 
masquerading,  if  it  had  not  such  serious  import  for 
my  little  Mary — and  those  dear  to  her. 


MARY 

But,  Madam,  King  William  must  needs  hold  for  them 
who  hold  for  him.  My  father  hath  had  him  pro- 
claimed, and  governs  the  Province  in  his  name. 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

'King  William,  King  William,'— a  fig  for  'King  Wil- 
liam' !  He  is  but  the  creature  of  the  disaffected  nobles 
and  gentry  of  England,  and,  even  should  he  win,  it  is 
they  who  will  govern  England  and  this  Province  of 
New  York. 

[Jacob  Milborne  stalks  solemnly  in  from  the 

left.     He  is  in  Puritan  dress  and  of  austere 

mien. 

The  Prince  of  Orange  is  no  republican,  nor  fanatic, 
neither, — but,  I'll  warrant,  here  comes  one  who  is 
both! 

MILBORNE 

[With  grave  deliberation  and  impressiveness. 
I  am  seeking  one  Jacob  Leisler. 


60  JACOB  LEISLER 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Making    him    an    exaggerated    curtsey    and 

speaking  in  mocking  imitation  of  his  manner. 

Seek,  and  ye  shall  find !    And  if  'one'  Jacob  Leisler  is 

not    enough,    you    may    have    two.     Which  seek  ye, 

Brother  Barebones,  the  father  or  the  son? 

MILBORNE 
[Offended. 

I  would  have  speech  with  the  Commander-in-Chief  of 
this  Province. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Alas,  brother,  Sir  Edmund  Andros  is  still  in  Boston 
gaol,  and  Lef tenant-Governor  Nicholson  is  in  Eng- 
land. 

MILBORNE 

And  well  would  it  be  if  every  son  of  Belial  and  daugh- 
ter of  Jezebel  were  with  them. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Folding  her  hands  upon  her  breast,  closing  her 

eyes,  and  making  him  a  profound  reverence. 

Verily,  verily,  Brother  Barebones,  most  of  those  you 

allude  to  would  hold  either  England  or  gaol  the  fairer 

residence — just  now. 


JACOB  LEISLER  61 

MILBORNE 

Miscall  me  not!  I  am  Jacob  Milborne,  and  I  had 
expected  other  entertainment  than  bandying  words 
with  a  mocker  of  holy  speech. 

MARY 

Oh,  if  you  are  Master  Milborne,  my  father  hath  sent 
my  brother  with  an  escort  to  greet  you. 

MILBORNE 

Thou  art  daughter  to  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
army  of  Israel? 

MARY 

I  am  Mary  Leisler. 

MILBORNE 

[Extending  his  hand. 

I  am  gratified  to  see  thee,  Mary, — though  I  had  not 
thought  to  meet  thee  in  such  company. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Be  comforted,  Brother  Barebones;  there  is  going  to 
be  an  immediate  separation  of  the  sheep  and  the  goats! 
[She  whispers  in  Mary's  ear,  then  lilts  away 
right,  and,  turning,  calls  back  to  her: 


62  JACOB  LEISLER 

Daughter  of  Israel,  tell  Father  Esau  to  look  well  to 
his  birthright — here's  Jacob  come  back! 

\With  which  parting  shot  she  vanishes. 

MILBORNE 

[Pointing  solemnly  after  her. 

Of  such  was  she  who  danced  before  Herod  and  she 
who  betrayed  Samson! 

MARY 

I  pray  you,  judge  her  not  too  harshly!  Her  sprightly 
tongue  outruns  her  kindly  heart,  and,  indeed,  my 
father  hath  treated  her  people  with  severity. 

MILBORNE 

'Woe  to  the  crown  of  pride,  woe  to  the  drunkards  of 
Ephraim !' 

MARY 

[Starting  to  go. 
I  will  tell  my  father  you  are  here,  Sir. 

MILBORNE 

Nay,  Mary,  I  would  have  further  speech  with  thee. 
Send  yon  sentinel  to  summon  thy  father ! 

[Mary  speaks  to  sentinel,  who  goes  out  by  the 

gates.     Milborne  lays  his  hand  upon  Mary's 

shoulder. 


JACOB  LEISLER  63 

I  am  pleased  to  see  by  thy  attire  that  thou  art  indeed 
a  true  daughter  of  Israel  in  this  great  struggle  against 
the  Philistines. 

MARY 

[Gently  evading  his  touch. 

I  should  not  be  a  true  daughter  of  my  father  were  I 
not  ready  to  give  even  my  life  for  King  William. 

MILBORNE 

Right  bravely  spoken,  Mary!  [Significantly'}  And 
the  chance  to  make  thy  life  of  great  and  peculiar  serv- 
ice to  the  King's  cause  may  be  nearer  than  thou 
thinkest. 

MARY 

My  brother  tells  me  you  are  lately  from  England. 

MILBORNE 

It  is  even  so.  With  my  own  eyes  I  saw  how  the 
Prince  of  Orange  spared  his  wicked  father-in-law,  even 
as  David  spared  Saul,  and  was  welcomed  and  crowned, 
even  as  the  tribes  of  Israel  crowned  David. 

MARY 

God  grant  that  King  William  frees  New  York  as  he 
has  freed  old  England! 


64  JACOB  LEISLER 


MILBORNE 

Amen  to  that!  But  King  William  is  far  from  this 
poor  Province,  and  surrounded  by  great  ones  who  hold 
it  in  contempt,  a  plaything  for  their  pleasure. 

[The  gates  fly  open  to  Leisler,  who  rushes  to 
Milborne,  holding  out  both  hands. 

LEISLER 

Ach,  my  friend,  God  has  sent  you  to  help  me! 
[The  sentinel  closes  the  gates. 

MILBORNE 

Even  as  He  commanded  Aaron  to  go  into  the  wilder- 
ness to  meet  Moses. 

LEISLER 

Go  tell  mother  Jacob  is  here! 
[Mary  enters  the  house. 

MILBORNE 

As  was  Rebekah,  daughter  of  Bethuel,  thy  Mary  is 
fair  to  look  upon. 

LEISLER 

A  good  girl — like  her  mother. 

[His  hands  upon  Milborne's  shoulders. 


JACOB  LEISLER  65 

And  now,  Jacob,  listen  to  me !  The  people  have  made 
me  Commander-in-Chief — all  but  they  of  Albany. 
You  shall  go  to  Albany  for  me. 

MILBORNE 

Perhaps.     What  else? 

LEISLER 

I  have  had  William  and  Mary  proclaimed.  I  have  put 
their  enemies  in  gaol.  I  have  made  the  Fort  ready  to 
fight  the  French.  I  have  called  a  congress  of  all  the 
Colonies  to  raise  an  army  to  go  against  Canada — just 
as  William  the  Silent  called  a  congress  of  the  Nether- 
land  Provinces  to  fight  the  Spanish  a  hundred  years 
ago. 

MILBORNE 

I  doubt  whether  this  William  will  like  the  liberty 
you  take  in  following  his  grandfather's  example. 

LEISLER 

Why  should  the  King  of  England  not  like  to  have 
me  call  a  congress  to  fight  for  him? 

MILBORNE 

Because  the  next  congress  of  these  Colonies  may  be 
called  to  fight  against  him. 


66  JACOB  LEISLER 

LEISLER 

What  I  have  done  was  for  King  William. 

MILBORNE 

And  what  has  King  William  done  for  you  ? 

LEISLER 

I  don't  know,  Jacob.  But  his  messenger  is  even  now 
at  Col.  Bayard's  house.  I  have  sent  for  him. 

MILBORNE 

Nicholson  has  misrepresented  you  to  the  King  as  an 
ambitious  and  reckless  usurper.  Has  he  had  your 
side  of  the  story? 

LEISLER 

Ach,  ya,  ya,  ya!  Long  ago  I  sent  him  a  letter,  with 
all  the  papers,  by  Joost  Stoll,  my  Ensign. 

MILBORNE 

A  publican  to  parley  with  princes! 

LEISLER 

But  he  will  give  the  King  my  letter,  nicht  wahr? 
Only  it  was  not  very  good  English,  my  letter.  That 


JACOB  LEISLER  67 

is  another  reason  why  I  need  you,  Jacob.  You  know 
that  good  English ;  you  shall  tell  that  King  .William 
what  Jacob  Leisler  has  to  say. 


MILBORNE 


What  have  you  to  say  ? 


LEISLER 

That  I  humbly  beseech  his  approval  of  all  I  have  done 
in  his  name. 

MILBORNE 

William's  approval  is  for  those  able  to  do  without  it — 
not  for  those  who  fear  him,  but  for  those  he  fears. 
Your  enemies  do  not  beseech — they  demand.  If  you 
wish  his  approval  of  what  you  have  done,  you  must 
make  him  dread  what  you  may  do. 

LEISLER 

What  should  the  King  dread  from  me,  who  ask,  but 
to  serve  him? 

MILBORNE 

What  he  dreads  from  them  of  New  England — that 
those  refused  his  commission  might  make  shift  to  do 
without  it. 


68  JACOB  LEISLER 


LEISLER 

[Shocked. 
But — Jacob — that  would  be  treason! 

MILBORNE 

You  account  it  not  treason  to  serve  William  instead  of 
James — why  is  it  treason  to  serve  God  and  the  people 
of  New  York  instead  of  William? 

LEISLER 

William's  cause  is  God's  cause.  My  sword,  my  for- 
tune, and  my  life  belong  to  the  King. 

MILBORNE 

Bah,  mere  sentiment!  The  people  follow  you.  Why 
should  you  truckle  to  a  ruler  beyond  seas,  when  you 
might  be  one  yourself?  If  you  think  so  highly  of 
William,  follow  his  example! 

LEISLER 

The  dearest  wish  of  my  heart  is  that  the  King  may 
make  me  his  governor,  as  the  people  have  made  me 
theirs.  But  I  will  not  use  the  power  they  have  given 
me  for  my  own  glory. 


JACOB  LEISLER  69 


MILBORNE 


And  your  reward  will  be  to  see  the  King  choose  for 
your  place  some  dissolute  Court  favorite. 


LEISLER 


No,  I'll  not  believe  it!  You  shall  help  me  fight  his 
battles  and  see  how  unjust  you  have  been  to  him. 
You  shall  lead  our  army  against  Canada. 


MILBORNE 

[After  thinking  it  over. 
Yes — on  one  condition. 


LEISLER 

Ach,   Jacob,   you   know   I   can    refuse  my  old  friend 
nothing. 

MILBORNE 

Give  me  thy  daughter  Mary  to  wife! 


LEISLER 
[Startled. 
But — she  is  only  a  child  yet. 


70  JACOB  LEISLER 

MILBORNE 

Samuel  was  but  a  child  when  he  was  taken  up  to  Shi- 
loh  to  serve  in  the  temple. 

LEISLER 

But  she  doesn't  know  her  own  mind  already — about 
such  things. 

MILBORNE 

All  the  more  reason  why  you  should  choose  for  her. 

LEISLER 

It  is  a  very  great  honor  you  do  her — but  really  she  is 
not  worthy.  You  should  have  a  wife  old  enough  to 
understand  and  help  you. 

MILBORNE 

She  is  wise  beyond  her  years,  and  I  shall  teach  her 
to  appreciate  me. 

LEISLER 

I  don't  know  but  there  may  be  some  foolishness  about 
a  boy — and  he  is  a  good  boy,  too — Abraham  Gouver- 
neur. 

MILBORNE 

Can  he  do  more  for  you  than  I  can? 


JACOB  LEISLER  71 


LEISLER 

Listen,  Jacob!  You  shall  come  to  live  in  my  house, 
and  talk  to  this  little  Mary,  and  when  she  is  like  to  be 
your  wife,  it  shall  be  so. 

MILBORNE 

It  is  not  seemly  that  one  of  my  years  should  dance 
attendance  upon  a  maid's  whims. 

[Mary  reappears  upon  the  stoop. 

LEISLER 

But,  Jacob,  my  mind  is  so  full  of  the  King's  business — 
let  us  talk  of  that  now — this  matter  can  wait. 

MILBORNE 

No,  I  must  back  to  Albany  at  once.  Shall  it  be  on 
your  affairs  or  my  own? 

LEISLER 

[Perplexed  and  distressed,  he  looks  from  Mil- 
borne  to  Mary  a  moment,  and  then  calls: 
Mary! 

MARY 

Yes,  father? 


72  JACOB  LEISLER 

LEISLER 

Come  here,  daughter! 

[Mary  comes  to  Leisler.     He  places  his  hand 
tenderly  upon  her  head. 
Mary,  this  is  my  old  friend,  Jacob  Milborne. 

[Correcting  himself: 

My  best  friend,  Mary, — he  is  not  so  old,  neither.  And 
I  have  sent  for  him  to  come  and  help  me — I  need  him 
sorely. 

[Hesitating. 

And  he  has  done  me  the  very  great  honor — he  has 
done  you  the  very  great  honor — to  think  you  can  help 
us  save  New  York  for  King  William. 

MARY 

Ah,  father,  you  know  I  would  do  anything  for  you, 
anything  for  the  King.  Tell  me  what  it  is!  Am  I 
to  go  among  the  Indians — or  to  Canada? 

[Leisler  looks  helplessly  from  Mary  to  Mil- 
borne,  unable  to  speak. 

MILBORNE 

Mary,  I  have  chosen  thee  for  my  wife. 

[Mary  looks  at  Milborne  bewildered,  then,  as 
his  meaning  dawns  upon  her,  she  recoils,  looks 
about  her  as  if  to  flee,  and  bursts  into  tears. 


JACOB  LEISLER  73 

LEISLER 

[Taking  her  into  his  arms. 

Don't,  Mary ;  don't  cry  like  that !  Old  Jacob  Leisler 
is  not  going  to  sacrifice  his  child — even  for  the  King. 

MILBORNE 

Did  Abraham  refuse  to  sacrifice  Isaac  for  the  King? 

LEISLER 

No,  Jacob,  no — but  I  am  not  Abraham!  If  you  want 
to  marry  this  little  maid,  you  must  get  her  to  say  'yes' 
already. 

[The  roll  of  a  drum  is  heard.     Leisler  goes 
quickly  left,  looks  in  the  direction  whence  the 
sound    comes,  and  then  returns  exultantly. 

LEISLER 

Here  is  the  King's  messenger!  Now  we  shall  see 
what  William  and  Mary  have  to  say  to  Jacob  Leisler. 

[Abraham  Gouverneur  marches  in  at  the  head 
of  a  file  of  militia,  escorting  John  Riggs,  and 
followed  by  Pere  Millet  between  two  Mo- 
hawk Indians  carrying  muskets  and  in  war 
paint.  Pere  Millet  wears  a  priest's  robe  and 


74  JACOB  LEISLER 

rosary.  Gouverneur  and  Riggs  go  to  Leisler. 
The  militia  take  position  at  the  right,  while 
Pere  Millet  and  the  Indians  remain  at  the  left. 


GOUVERNEUR 

[Saluting. 

John  Riggs,  Commander,  with  a  letter  from  their 
Majesties. 

LEISLER 

[Shaking  hands  with  Riggs  warmly. 
Their  Majesties'  messenger  must  needs  be  welcome 
where  their  Majesties'  authority  is  honored  next  to 
God's. 

RIGGS 

I  am  told  so,  Commander  Leisler,  and  I  believe  it  will 
please  their  gracious  Majesties  to  hear  such  good  re- 
port. 

LEISLER 

This  is  my  friend,  Jacob  Milborne.  He  is  lately  from 
England,  too. 

RIGGS 

{Shaking  hands  with  Milborne. 
I  have  met  Mr.  Milborne  in  London. 


JACOB  LEISLER  75 

LEISLER 

[Indicating  Pere  Millet,  while  Riggs  and  Mil- 
borne  converse. 
Who  is  your  prisoner,  Abraham? 

GOUVERNEUR 

A  French  priest,  Commander,  taken  at  Ft.  Frontenac 
by  our  Indians. 

LEISLER 

[Sharply  to  Pere  Millet. 
Approchez,  Monsieur,  que  je  vous  parle! 

[Pere  Millet  goes  to  Leisler. 
Comment  vous  nommez-vous? 

PERE   MILLET 

Pere  Millet,  votre  Excellence. 

LEISLER 

Est-ce  que  vous  parlez  1'anglais? 

PERE   MILLET 

Tres  mal,  votre  Excellence. 


76  JACOB  LEISLER 

LEISLER 

Ni  moi  non  plus,  mais  c'est  dans  les  affaires  anglaises 
que  vous  vous  melez  et  nous  parlerons  1'anglais.  At- 
tendez! 

[Pere  Millet  bows. 

Jacob,  will  you  take  Mr.  Riggs  into  the  Fort  ?  I  must 
question  this  French  spy.  You  will  excuse  me  a  little, 
Mr.  Riggs? 

RIGGS 

Certainly,  Commander.  I  have  asked  Mr.  Philipse 
and  Mr.  Van  Cortlandt  to  confer  with  us  here  re- 
garding his  Majesty's  letter. 

[Milborne  and  Riggs  go  away  together  into  the 
Fort.  During  the  following  scene  Gouver- 
neur  and  Mary  converse  together. 

LEISLER 

[  Turning  sharply  upon  Pere  Millet. 
You  come  from  Quebec? 

[Pere  Millet  bows  assent. 

Why  has  Monsieur  le  Comte  de  Frontenac  sent  you 
here? 

PERE   MILLET 

[Very  slowly  and  carefully. 
Monsieur  le  Comte  de  Frontenac  not  me  has  sent. 


JACOB  LEISLER  77 


LEISLER 

[  Contemptuously. 
Qui  done? 

PERE   MILLET 

Le  bon  Dieu  m'a  envoye — pardon ! — the  good  God  me 
sent  to  save  the  souls  to  these  poor  people. 
[Indicating  the  Indians. 


LEISLER 

Si,  si,  and  maybe  turn  their  guns  against  the  English, 
too?    Your  'good  God'  is  for  Frontenac,  n'est-ce  pas? 


PERE   MILLET 

It  may  be  thus,  your  Excellence,  but  I  am  not  of  His 
counsels  as  to  the  politique. 


LEISLER 

So?    Tell  me,  then,  is  Frontenac  at  Quebec? 

PERE   MILLET 

Your  Excellence  will  excuse  me  not  to  answer  that. 


78  JACOB  LEISLER 

LEISLER 

How  many  soldiers  has  he  there? 

[Pere  Millet  sloivly  shakes  his  head. 
Is  he  coming  to  attack  us? 

PERE   MILLET 

If  your  Excellence  will  pardon,  I  cannot  to  answer 
those  question. 

LEISLER 

Do  you  know  I  can  hang  you  as  a  spy  ?  Do  you  know 
what  those  Indians  will  do  to  you  if  I  hand  you  back 
to  them? 

PERE    MILLET 

[Solemnly  kissing  his  crucifix. 

Yes,  your  Excellence,  I  know  you  can  hang  me  as  a 
spy — but  you  cannot  make  me  to  be  a  spy — either  for 
you  or  for  Frontenac. 

LEISLER 

[To  Indians. 
Take  him! 

[The  Indians  spring  one  to  each  side  of  Pere 
Millet,  one  drawing  a  knife,  the  other  raising 
a  tomahawk.    Leisler  pulls  out  his  watch. 
I  will  give  you  just  one  minute  to  answer  my  ques- 
tions. 


JACOB  LEISLER  79 


PERE   MILLET 

If  I  have  but  the  one  minute  to  live,  your  Excellence 
will  not  to  refuse  me  one  las'  reques'  ? 

LEISLER 

What  is  it — quick? 

PERE   MILLET 

[Slowly  and  carefully  as  ever. 
You  believe  in  the  good  God,  is  it  not? 

LEISLER 

[Impatiently. 
Si,  si,  si — go  on! 

PERE   MILLET 

Then,  in  His  name,  I  beg  of  you  to  have  pity  on  the 
women  and  children  taken  by  your  Indians  in  this 
war! 

LEISLER 

[Looks  at  Pere  Millet  a  moment,  then  puts  up 
his  watch  and  speaks  courteously. 
Monsieur  Millet,  we  war  not  upon  women  and  chil- 
dren. 

\Waves  the  Indians  away. 


8o  JACOB  LEISLER 

Nor  upon  priests,  neither.  I  don't  think  you  are  a 
spy — you  will  pardon  if  I  said  that! — but  I  will  not 
take  any  chances  yet,  so  you  shall  be  my  guest  here 
in  the  Fort,  and  \ve  will  talk  the  French  sometimes, 
n'est-ce  pas? 

PERE   MILLET 

My  son,  may  He  whose  mercy  you  have  shown  the 
helpless  be  merciful  to  you! 


LEISLER 
[To  militia. 
Attention !     March ! 

[Leisler  conducts  Pere  Millet  through  the 
gates,  opened  by  sentinel,  followed  by  Indians 
and  militia,  keeping  step  to  the  tap  of  the 
drum. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Your  father  can  show  pity  for  a  popish  priest — but 
none  for  his  own  daughter! 


MARY 

Nay,  Abraham,  you  are  unjust.     He  is  perplexed  and 
beset,  and  he  needs  Mr.  Milborne's  help  sorely. 


JACOB  LEISLER  81 


GOUVERNEUR 


Only  a  tyrant  would  demand  such  a  sacrifice — only  a 
brute  would  accept  it. 

MARY 

But  my  father  has  not  demanded  it.  He  has  only  let 
me  see  how  much  it  means  to  him. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Then  you  can  refuse — you  will? 

MARY 

Abraham,  if  my  father  wished  me  to  go  among  the 
enemy,  as  that  poor  priest  has  done,  I  would  go. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Oh,  we  are  all  ready  to  give  up  our  lives  for  the  King 
— but  not  those  we  love! 

MARY 

My  father  has  thrown  his  life,  his  fortune,  all  that  he 
has,  all  that  he  loves,  into  this  struggle.  Shall  I  not 
be  unworthy  of  him  if  I  do  less? 


82  JACOB  LEISLER 

GOUVERNEUR 

But  this  canting  fanatic,  what  right  has  he  to  you? 
What  more  can  he  do  to  deserve  you  than  I? 

MARY 

Alas,  Abraham,  Mr.  Milborne  is  a  very  able  man, 
and  my  father  holds  him  necessary  to  his  plans. 

GOUVERNEUR 

And  so,  it  would  seem,  a  marriage  with  this  great  Mr. 
Milborne  is  not  so  distasteful  to  you,  after  all! 

MARY 

[  Weeping. 

Ah,  Abraham,  you  know  my  heart  has  always  been 

yours — and  will  be,  always. 

[Van  Cortlandt,  Philipse,  Nicolls  and  Bayard 
appear  at  the  left,  unobserved  by  the  lovers. 

GOUVERNEUR 

[Seizing  Mary's  hand. 
Mary,  Mary,  Mary,  I  will  never  give  you  up! 

BAYARD 

We  come  prepared    for   war — and   interrupt   a   love 
scene.    Ahem ! 


JACOB  LEISLER  83 

[Gouverneur  drops  Mary's  hand  in  confusion. 
I  humbly  beg  your  pardon,  Master  Abraham,  but  I 
believe  you  know  of  our  appointment  here  with  Mr. 
Riggs  and  Captain  Leisler? 

GOUVERNEUR 

I  will  tell  them  you  are  come,  Sir. 

[Gouverneur  goes  quickly  into  the  Fort,  and 
Mary  into  the  house. 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

Col.  Bayard,  did  this  fellow  Riggs  tell  you  to  whom 
the  King's  letter  is  addressed? 

BAYARD 

Yes, — to  Leftenant-Governor  Nicholson. 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

Then  he  will  assuredly  deliver  it  to  us,  of  his  Honor's 
Council. 

BAYARD 

But  he  hath  been  told  by  the  wise  men  of  Boston  that 
Leisler  rules  here,  and  that  he  should  have  the  letter. 


84  JACOB  LEISLER 


NICOLLS 


Gentlemen,  a  word  with  you !  Are  you  not  in  treason 
to  his  Majesty,  King  James,  to  receive  the  instructions 
of  this  upstart  Prince  of  Orange? 


BAYARD 

I,  for  one,  can  never  own  William  for  my  lawful  sov- 
ereign so  long  as  James  is  alive. 

PHILIPSE 

Softly,  softly!  You  young  men  are  so  hot-headed! 
If  we  can  make  an  upstart  in  England  help  us  get  rid 
of  an  upstart  here  in  New  York,  King  James  will  be 
well  pleased  enough  to  find  his  friends  in  power  once 
he  comes  back  to  the  throne. 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

That  is  my  advice — one  step  at  a  time.  And  the  best 
way  to  get  possession  of  the  letter  is  to  show  William's 
messenger  that  this  German  boor's  rule  is  less  abso- 
lute than  they  of  Boston  have  told  him. 

PHILIPSE 

Easier  said  than  done!  He  holds  the  Fort,  and  the 
militia  and  people  are  with  him. 


JACOB  LEISLER  85 

BAYARD 

Not  all  of  them.  There  was  almost  a  riot  at  the  Stadt 
Haus  yesterday  when  his  orders  to  fortify  the  city 
were  proclaimed,  many  protesting  they  would  pay  no 
such  tax  and  scorning  the  militia. 

NICOLLS 

Yes,  and  with  furious  threats  to  take  the  prisoners  out 
of  the  Fort  as  well. 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

If  this  Riggs  had  but  witnessed  such  a  sedition! 

BAYARD 

It  would  be  most  easy  to  set  on  the  malcontents  anew. 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

He  would  be  a  shrewd  man  who  should  do  it. 

PHILIPSE 
And  a  rash  one !    Leisler  has  a  heavy  hand. 

BAYARD 

I  fear  him  not — tyrant  though  he  be. 


86  JACOB  LEISLER 

NICOLLS 

[Starts  away  melodramatically. 

Then,  come  on,  and  we  will  show  this  Masaniello  'nee 
surdum  nee  Tiresiam  quamquam  esse  Deorum'! 

[Nicolls  and  Bayard  rush  out  left.  At  the 
same  moment  Leisler  and  Riaas  reappear 
through  the  gates.  Leisler  notes  the  flight  of 
Nicolls  and  Bayard,  and  gives  an  inaudible 
order  to  the  sentinel,  who  goes  quickly  into 
the  Fort,  Leisler  closing  the  gates  after  him. 

PHILIPSE 

Van  Cortlandt,  I  misdoubt  this  attempt.      It  is  but 
playing  Leisler's  own  game. 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

In  any  event,  our  skirts  are  clear.    Sh-h-h!     Here  he 
comes. 

LEISLER 

[Nodding  stiffly  to   Van  Cortlandt  and  Phil- 
ipse,  as  he  and  Riaas  approach  them. 
Mr.  Riggs,  you  know  these  gentlemen.     They  were 
members  of  King  James's  Council  for  New  York. 


JACOB  LEISLER  87 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

And,  we  trust,  still  hold  such  positions  under  the  proc- 
lamation of  his  gracious  Majesty,  King  William,  con- 
tinuing all  officers  in  their  employments  until  his  royal 
pleasure  may  be  further  known. 

RIGGS 

[As  he  produces  a  document  bearing  a  huge 
wax  seal. 

I  understand,  gentlemen,  that  you  pretend  to  posses- 
sion of  this  letter  from  his  Majesty? 


VAN   CORTLANDT 

We  do — assuredly. 

RIGGS 

It  hath  grave  import.     Hear  the  King's  words: 

[Opening  and  reading  from  the  document. 
'We  do  hereby  authorize  you  to  take  upon  you  the  gov- 
ernment of  our  Province  of  New  York.' 


VAN   CORTLANDT 

So  this  letter  makes  whoever  gets  it  Leftenant-Gov- 
ernor  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Province? 


88  JACOB  LEISLER 


RIGGS 

Just  that — until  his  Majesty  formally  appoints  a  new 
Governor.  When  I  left  England  it  was  said  at  court 
that  Colonel  Henry  Sloughter  will  be  sent,  with  Ma- 
jor Richard  Ingoldsby  to  command  his  troops.  Col. 
Sloughter's  friends  have  the  King's  ear. 


PHILIPSE 
How  is  the  King's  letter  addressed  ? 


RIGGS 
[Reading. 

Thus  runs  the  superscription:  'To  our  trusty  and 
well-beloved  Francis  Nicholson,  Esqre.,  our  Lef ten- 
ant-Governor and  Commander-in-Chief  of  our  Prov- 
ince of  New  York  in  America  [significantly']  and  in 
his  absence  to  such  as  for  the  time  being  take  care  for 
Preserving  the  Peace  and  administring  the  Lawes  in 
our  said  Province  of  New  York  in  America.' 


PHILIPSE 

Leftenant-Governor  Nicholson  deputed  us  to  act  in  his 
absence.    So  the  letter  is  ours. 


JACOB  LEISLER  89 


RIGGS 

But  it  is  addressed,  in  his  absence,  to  such  as  administer 
the  laws.  Have  you  done  that? 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

We  have  been  ready  and  anxious  to  do  so,  Sir,  but 
have  been  prevented. 

LEISLER 

Who  has  prevented  you? 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

You  have! 

LEISLER 

No,  not  old  Jacob  Leisler,  but  the  people  of  New 
York,  who  thought  it  not  seemly  that  the  officers  of  a 
popish  king  should  act  for  Protestant  William. 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

Captain  Leisler,  the  people  of  New  York  do  not  gov- 
ern the  people  of  New  York — and  King  William 
would  be  last  to  say  so. 

LEISLER 

But  Nicholson  has  told  the  King  who  governs  here — 
and  the  King  directs  his  letter  accordingly, 


90  JACOB  LEISLER 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

Then  why  did  he  not  put  your  name  on  it? 

LEISLER 

I  don't  know,  Stephanus.  Maybe  he  thought  you 
would  be  in  command  here  by  the  time  Mr.  Riggs 
arrived — but  your  name  is  not  on  it,  neither. 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

Your  authority  is  disputed  by  the  best  people  of  the 
Province. 

LEISLER 

It  has  been  acknowledged  by  King  William's  govern- 
ments at  Hartford  and  Boston,  and  is  disputed  in  New 
York  only  by  Jacobite  rascals  like  yourself. 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

I  am  no  Jacobite,  nor  rascal,  neither,  and  your  zeal 
for  King  William  is  only  a  cloak  for  your  insolent 
tyranny. 

LEISLER 

Stephanus,  I  will  pray  God  to  pardon  your  sins — and 
damn  your  impudence. 


JACOB  LEISLER  91 

PHILIPSE 

Even  the  rabble  has  turned  against  you,  if  what  I  hear 
of  the  riot  at  the  Stadt  Haus  is  true. 

[The  murmur  of  a  crowd  in  angry  discussion 
begins  to  be  heard. 

LEISLER 

Some  of  the  rabble,  Frederick,  object  to  paying  taxes 
to  defend  the  country  against  King  James's  dear  Cana- 
dian friends — as  much  as  you  objected  to  giving  up  the 
taxes  that  had  been  collected.  And  some  of  the  rab- 
ble, Frederick,  are  in  gaol — and  I  hope  you  will  take 
warning  by  their  example. 

PHILIPSE 

I  speak  not  for  the  rabble,  Mr.  Riggs,  but  I  have  dis- 
puted this  usurper's  right  to  his  Majesty's  revenues. 

VOICES   FROM   WITHOUT 

Down  with  Governor  Dog-Driver! — No  more  taxes 
to  the  tyrant ! — Make  him  bring  out  his  prisoners ! 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

It  would  seem  that  the  rabble  is  here  to  speak  for 
itself. 


92  JACOB  LEISLER 


LEISLER 

Maybe  for  you,  too,  Stephanus. 

[The  crowd  bursts  in  from  the  left,  a  disor- 
derly and  disreputable-looking  mob,  armed 
with  sticks,  stones,  pistols,  etc.,  one  carrying  a 
cooper's  adze.  Bayard  and  Nicolls  follow  and 
slyly  incite  the  mob  against  Leisler. 

VOICES  FROM  THE  CROWD 

[With  clumsy  brandishing  of  weapons. 
There  he  is,  the  tyrant! — Deacon  Jailer,  we've  come 
for  your  prisoners. — Hey,  you,  Lef tenant  Blockhead! 
— No  more  Leisler  taxes! 

LEISLER 

[Advancing  to  meet  them,  and  raising  his  hand 
for  silence,  while  Van  Cortlandt  and  Philipsc 
withdraw  Riggs  to  the  right. 
Stop! 

[The  crowd  huddles  up  sullenly. 
Now  somebody  tell  me  what  you  want ! 

VOICES 

We'll  pay  no  more  taxes! — You  are  robbing  the  peo- 
ple!— No  more  arbitrary  taxation! 


JACOB  LEISLER  93 


LEISLER 

The  taxes  are  not  arbitrary.  They  were  voted  by  the 
General  Assembly  to  carry  on  the  war  against  the 
French. 

VOICE 

The  French  won't  come  here.  You  want  the  money 
for  yourself,  Governor  Dog-Driver. 

LEISLER 

Listen  to  me,  you  damned  rascals  and  vagabonds!  For 
every  pound  of  the  public  money  spent  to  defend  you 
against  the  French,  I  have  spent  another  pound  of  my 
own  money. 

VOICES 

It's  a  lie! — Knock  him  down! — Kill  the  Dog-Driver! 
— Give  up  your  prisoners! — I  want  my  brother  out  of 
gaol! 

LEISLER 

[Pointing  to  the  last  speaker. 

You'll  join  your  brother  in  gaol,  Abraham  Kip,  before 
you  get  him  out. 

[Pointing  out  Bayard,  who  has  stolen  around 
between  Leisler  and  the  gates  of  the  Fort. 
And  you'll  go  with  him,  Nicholas  Bayard. 


94  JACOB  LEISLER 

BAYARD 

I  think  not,  Governor  Dog-Driver.     Ready,  men! 

[The  mob  stirs,  ready  to  attack f  raising  its 
weapons. 

LEISLER 
[  Calling. 
Now,  Abraham,  come  on! 

BAYARD 

[As  he  and  others  of  the  mob  place  their  backs 
against  the  gates  to  hold  them  shut. 
You'll  get  no  help  from  the  Fort,  Governor  Dog- 
Driver.    Down  with  him,  men! 

GOUVERNEUR 

[Loudly,  without. 
Scale  the  gates! 

[The  militiamen  without  give  an  answering 
cheer,  and  several  swarm  after  Gouverneur 
and  Milborne  over  the  tops  of  the  gates. 
Meanwhile,  the  mob  has  made  a  savage  rush 
at  Leisler,  surrounding  him,  and  striking  at 
him  with  their  weapons,  the  man  with  the  adze 
being  particularly  in  evidence.  Leisler  de- 
fends himself  with  his  sword  with  cool  alert- 
ness, whirling  swiftly  about  and  fighting  his 


JACOB  LEISLER  95 

way  back  toward  the  gates.  Milborne  has 
engaged  Bayard  in  a  rapier  duel,  while  Gouv- 
erneur  opens  the  gates,  admitting  other  militia- 
men, with  whom  he  pursues  the  mob,  now 
fleeing  in  all  directions,  Milborne  disarms 
Bayard. 

BAYARD 

Don't  murder  a  disarmed  man! 

MILBORNE 

[His  sword  at  Bayard's  throat. 
Evil-doers  shall  be  cut  off,  saith  the  Psalmist. 

LEISLER 

Spare  him,  Jacob!     He  will  look  good  with  a  chain 

around  his  leg. 

[Milborne  sheathes  his  sword,  and  takes  a 
grip  on  Bayard's  collar.  Gouverneur  and  his 
militiamen  return  from  various  directions  with 
Nicolls  and  other  prisoners. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Mr.  Nicolls,  Captain,  and  others  of  the  mob  taken 
prisoner. 


g6  JACOB  LEISLER 

LEISLER 

We  shall  have  to  enlarge  our  gaol,  Abraham. 

[Loud  concerted  groan  from  all  the  prisoners. 
Well,  Mr.  Riggs,  do  you  think  there  is  any  doubt  now 
about  who  takes  care  for  preserving  the  peace  and 
administering  the  laws  here? 

RIGGS 

No,  Commander  Leisler.  The  King's  letter  belongs 
to  you  and  makes  you  Leftenant-Governor — until 
Sloughter  comes. 

[Handing  him  the  letter. 
Take  it! 

GOUVERNEUR 

Now  then,  everybody, — Hip,  hip,  huzzay  for  King 
William's  Governor  Leisler! 

MILITIA 

[With  a  roar. 

Hip,  hip,  huzzay  for  King  William's  Governor  Leis- 
ler! 

[  The  prisoners  groan  dismally,  all  together,  as 

before. 


ACT  III 

A  room  of  the  Governor's  house  in  the  Fort,  the 
night  of  March  19,  1691.  Dutch  interior,  sombre 
effect,  with  decoration  of  arms  and  oil  portraits  of 
Dutch  governors  on  the  walls.  There  is  a  wide  tiled 
fireplace  at  the  left  (no  jambs),  in  which  a  fire  is 
burning.  The  door  at  the  back  is  divided  horizontally 
in  the  middle,  showing  the  customary  stoop  without. 
There  are  wide,  low  windows  on  either  side  of  it. 
Dimly  seen  through  the  door  and  windows  at  the 
back  is  the  interior  of  the  Fort,  the  church,  etc.  There 
is  a  door  at  the  right,  leading  to  Leisler's  private  apart- 
ments. There  are  chairs  and  a  table  with  lighted 
candles  at  the  right  front.  Leisler's  belt,  sword  and 
pistols  are  hanging  beside  the  fireplace. 

Cobus  is  writing  at  the  table  fronting  you,  his  head 
carelessly  bandaged,  a  pair  of  pistols  lying  on  the  table 
before  him.  He  is  lighted  by  a  red  glow  from  the  fire- 
place. Gouverneur  appears  at  the  rear  doo-r,  the 
upper  half  of  which  is  open.  He  looks  in,  and,  seeing 
Cobus,  knocks  lightly.  Failing  to  attract  attention,  he 
enters,  and  lays  his  hand  on  his  friend's  shoulder. 
Cobus  snatches  up  his  pistols  and,  springing  to  his  feet, 
levels  them  at  Gouverneur. 

97 


98  JACOB  LEISLER 

COBUS 
[Laughing. 

A  thousand  pardons,  Abraham!  I  thought,  for  the 
moment,  Major  Ingoldsby  had  taken  the  Fort.  Has 
he  made  any  attack  since  I  left  the  wall? 

GOUVERNEUR 

No,  he  has  withdrawn  all  but  a  sentinel  or  two,  but 
there  is  a  great  crowd  and  much  shouting  at  the  Stadt 
Haus,  and  boats  have  been  passing  to  and  from  the 
ship  arrived  at  the  Narrows. 

COBUS 

Can  it  be  that  Governor  Sloughter  has  arrived  at  last  ? 

GOUVERNEUR 

Indeed,  I  hope  so.  It  was  most  unfortunate  his  ship 
was  parted  at  sea  from  those  bringing  Major  Ingoldsby 
and  the  King's  soldiers,  and  forced  to  put  in  at  the 
Bermudas  for  repairs. 

COBUS 

Yes,  for  when  Ingoldsby  arrived  six  weeks  ago  our 
enemies  were  swift  to  prevail  upon  him  to  demand  the 
release  of  Bayard  and  Nicolls,  and  to  attack  the  Fort 
when  its  possession  was  refused  him. 


JACOB  LEISLER  99 


GOUVERNEUR 


He  is  a  soldier — commissioned  only  to  obey  the  King 
and  the  Governor  of  New  York.  Why,  without  or- 
ders from  either,  has  he  attacked  the  acting  Governor 
of  New  York? 

COBUS 

I  was  but  just  framing  another  letter  for  father  to 
Governor  Sloughter  at  the  Bermudas,  protesting 
against  Major  Ingoldsby's  attack,  and  beseeching  him 
to  hasten  hither. 

GOUVERNEUR 

How  are  the  poor  fellows  shot  in  Tuesday's  assault? 

COBUS 

All  will  recover,  the  chirurgeon  saith.  But  I  hear 
Ingoldsby  had  two  men  killed  by  the  premature  dis- 
charge of  a  cannon. 

GOUVERNEUR 

And  your  own  wound? 

COBUS 

It  smarts  a  little — the  rascal's  aim  was  good. 


ioo  JACOB  LEISLER 


GOUVERNEUR 

I  am  neglecting  my  errand;  a  woman  at  the  sallyport 
asks  admission  and  speech  with  you. 

COBUS 

With  me?    Who  is  she? 

GOUVERNEUR 

She  refuses  to  give  her  name,  or  her  business,  except 
that  it  is  a  matter  of  life  and  death.  She  is  masked 
and  much  perturbed. 

COBUS 

A  spy  for  Ingoldsby,  think  you?  Or  perhaps  a  man 
in  woman's  dress? 

GOUVERNEUR 

She  wears  Ingoldsby's  white  badge  on  her  sleeve. 

COBUS 

Bring  her  in  blindfolded,  and  I  will  take  care  of  her 
— whatever  her  mission! 

GOUVERNEUR 

I  will  have  a  guard  at  the  door. 

[Gouverneur  goes  out.     Cobus  picks  up  his  pis- 
tols, assures  himself  they  are  loaded,  examines 


JACOB  LEISLER  101 

the  priming,  then  replaces  them  carefully  on 
the  table.  He  then  glances  over  the  letter  he 
has  been  writing,  makes  a  correction  or  two, 
and  is  thus  engaged  when  Miss  Livingston 
(masked,  blindfolded,  and  with  a  white  band 
on  her  left  arm)  appears  at  the  rear  door  with 
a  guard,  who  removes  the  blindfold  and  opens 
the  lower  half  of  the  door  for  her. 


COBUS 

You  may  enter,  Madam. 

[She  comes  in  hesitatingly,  looks  about  the 
room  in  trepidation,  then  closes  both  the  lower 
and  upper  halves  of  the  door,  and  advances 
slowly  toward  Cobus. 


COBUS 

{Laying  his  hand  upon  a  pistol. 
Now,  Madam,  who  are  you,  and  what  is  your  affair? 

[Miss  Livingston  removes  her  mask. 
Miss  Livingston — is  it  possible! 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

No,  quite  impossible,  I  assure  you. 


io2  JACOB  LEISLER 

COBUS 

How  have  we  earned  so  much  honor? 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

I  come  to  warn  you  that  your  sweet  William's  new 
Governor  is  here. 

COBUS 

Thank  God — we  are  saved! 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

No ;  he  is  closeted  with  your  enemies,  and  he  is  a  weak 
man. 

COBUS 
They  cannot  discredit  my  father's  loyalty  to  the  King. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Then  they  will  hang  him  on  some  other  pretext. 

COBUS 

How  will  they  justify  Major  Ingoldsby's  bloody  as- 
sault upon  the  Fort? 


JACOB  LEISLER  103 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Think  you  the  new  Governor  will  not  credit  his  crea- 
ture's report?  As  for  'bloody  assaults,'  I  like  not  the 
way  you  have  yon  bandage  placed.  Seat  yourself, 
Master  Cobus! 

[Cobus  sits,  and  Miss  Livingston  readjusts  the 
bandage  on  his  head,  humming  the  air  of 
'When  the  King  Enjoys  His  Own  Again' 
Red  firelight  on  the  group. 

I  may  be  hanged,  too,  for  rendering  aid  and  comfort 
to  the  enemy,  but — that  is  easier,  is  it  not? 


COBUS 

Oh,  vastly!     But,  indeed,  you  do  run  much  risk  in 
coming  thus  to  the  Fort. 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

For  your  sister's  sake,  Master  Cobus. 

COBUS 

[Indicating  door  at  the  right. 
She  is  at  hand  and  would  fain  greet  you. 


104  JACOB  LEISLER 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

No,  I  have  had  no  heart  to  look  upon  her  face  since 
her  marriage  to  that  canting  mischief-maker  Milborne 
a  month  ago. 

COBUS 

He  is  an  austere  man,  but  devoted  to  my  father's 
cause. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[With  asperity. 

He  is  a  grasping  and  revengeful  marplot.  But  for  his 
arrogance  and  misrule  the  massacre  of  Schenectady 
had  not  occurred  and  the  expedition  against  Canada 
had  not  failed.  So  this  marriage,  from  which  your 
father  expected  so  much,  hath  wrecked  both  his  cause 
and  your  sister's  life — to  say  nothing  of  poor  Master 
Gouverneur. 

COBUS 

Alas,  Madam,  if  my  sister  hath  laid  her  heart  upon  the 
altar  of  duty,  no  one  knows  better  how  to  pity  her 
than  I! 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Master  Cobus,  if  I  were  not  here  on  serious  business, 
my  head  would  be  turned  quite  by  your  flattering 
speeches. 

[As  he  starts  toward  her,  she  continues  coldly: 


JACOB  LEISLER  105 

But  this  is  no  time  for  flattering  speeches,  Sir,  with  our 
families  at  war. 

[Cobus  stops  abashed,   and  she  goes   on  very 
sweetly  : 
And  yet,  ever  since  you  saved  my  life,  I  have  felt 

[He  again  becomes  hopeful. 

that  your  conduct  hath  been  much  too  presumptuous, 
Sir. 

[Cobus  in  despair  again,  while  his  tormentress 
keeps  on  with  her  cat-and-mouse  play. 
But  my  affection  for  your  sister  makes  me  ready  to 
forgive 

[He  revives. 
anything  short  of  your  bold  and  arrogant  demeanor. 

[Cobus  is  down  again. 

Still,  your  manifest  partiality  for  my  society  moves  me 
to  tell  you 

[He  falls  upon  his  knees  before  her. 
that  you  must  never  see  my  face  again 

[Cobus  desperate. 
unless  I  permit  you,  of  course. 


COBUS 

[Seizing  her  hands. 
Madam,  madam,  you  know  I  love  you !     Have  mercy ! 


io6  JACOB  LEISLER 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Withdrawing  her  hands. 
Never,  never,  NEVER! 

[Milborne  suddenly  pushes  open  the  upper  half 
of  the  rear  door,  recognizes  the  situation,  and 
strides  sternly  down  upon  the  culprits. 


MILBORNE 

What  means  this  mummery? 

[Cobus  springs  to  his  feet,  and  Miss  Livingston 
recoils,  replacing  her  mask. 

COBUS 

Major  Milborne,  this  lady  is  here  to  give  us  friendly 
warning  that  our  enemies  have  the  ear  of  the  newly 
arrived  Governor. 

MILBORNE 

We  need  no  gifts  from  the  Greeks,  nor  advice  from  a 
Livingston. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Removing  her  mask. 

Rest  assured,  Sir,  it  was  not  you  I  sought  to  save  from 
the  ruin  wrought  by  your  folly  and  presumption ! 


JACOB  LEISLER  107 


MILBORNE 


Silence,  you  shameless  termagant!  You  bring  your 
Delilah  arts  to  beguile  this  foolish  boy  into  betraying 
us.  I  arrest  you  as  a  spy. 


COBUS 


[Hotly,  as  he  takes  up  his  pistols. 
Major  Milborne,  you  forget  yourself! 

MISS   LIVINGSTON 

[Very  quietly. 

Oh,  no,  Brother  Barebones,  I  am  not  here  as  a  spy — 
but  for  reasons  quite  as  good  as  your  own. 

MILBORNE 

I  am  no  solver  of  riddles,  Madam. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Goes  to  Cobus,  and  places  her  arms  about  his 
neck. 
You  have  married  into  the  family — and  I  am  going  to. 

MILBORNE 

[Aghast. 
I  am  grievously  afflicted  to  hear  it. 


io8  JACOB  LEISLER 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

I  hoped  you  would  be — and  I'll  take  care  you  don't 
change  your  mind. 

MILBORNE 

Does  your  father  know  of  this — misfortune? 

COBUS 

[Very  happy,  as  he  holds  Miss  Livingston  close. 
Not  yet ! 

MILBORNE 

Well,  he  shall — at  once — and  we'll  see  how  your  fool's 
paradise  fares  when  he  hears  he  has  a  traitor  in  the 
family. 

[Milborne  slams  angrily  out,  right. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Struggling  to  free  herself  the  moment  Mil- 
borne  is  gone. 
Unhand  me,  Sir! 

COBUS 

[Kissing  her  repeatedly,  despite  her  resistance. 
'Never,  never,  NEVER!' 


JACOB  LEISLER  109 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Trying  to  be  indignant. 
Surely  you  mistook  not  my  ruse  to  escape  arrest? 

COBUS 

[Holding  her  tightly. 

No  mistake  in  the  world,  dear  Joanna.  Your  arms 
outvote  your  tongue  two  to  one. 

MISS   LIVINGSTON 

[Hiding  her  face  on  his  shoulder. 
But  can't  you  see  that  my  eyes  are  against  you,  too? 

COBUS 
Why,  so  they  are ! 

[Kissing  her  on  the  eyes. 
The  ayes  have  it. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

But  haven't  you  some  important  or  daring  military 
duty  which  you  are  neglecting  to  hold  on  to  me  like 
this? 

COBUS 

Nothing  half  so  important — or  so  daring. 


no  JACOB  LEISLER 


MISS   LIVINGSTON 

[Without  conviction. 
But  I  must  go — really. 

COBUS 

You  are  under  arrest,  you  know,  but  I'll  parole  you — 
on  one  condition. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 
[Faintly. 
What  condition — Cobus? 

COBUS 

That  you  kiss  me — just  once — in  confirmation  of  what 
you  told  Major  Milborne. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Think  you  truly  it  would  afflict  Brother  Barebones  so 
sorely  ? 

COBUS 

Oh,    it's    most    certain!      He'll    probably    quit    the 
Province. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Zounds,  nothing  else  sh'd  move  me  to  't,  but 

[She  kisses  him  conclusively. 
there  now! 


JACOB  LEISLER  in 

[She  tears  away  from  him  in  a  panic,  and  runs 
out,  he  folloiving.  Milborne  returns,  looks 
about  the  room  in  disappointment;  picks  up 
the  mask  dropped  by  Miss  Livingston,  and 
throws  it  into  the  fire;  glances  scornfully 
over  the  letter  left  by  Cobus  on  the  table, 
tears  it  up,  and  scatters  the  pieces;  and  is  pac- 
ing back  and  forth  in  vindictive  unrest  when 
Gouverneur  comes  in  by  the  rear  door. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Major    Milborne,    it    is    confirmed    that    Governor 

Sloughter  hath  arrived. 

[Their  colloquy  is  swift  and  brusque,  each 
showing  his  dislike  for  the  other. 

MILBORNE 

We  know  that  already.    What  more? 

GOUVERNEUR 

He  was  met  and  brought  to  the  Stadt  Haus  by  Van 
Cortlandt  and  other  our  enemies,  and  there  read 
his  commission  and  took  oath  of  office. 

MILBORNE 

And  then? 


ii2  JACOB  LEISLER 

GOUVERNEUR 

Then  Van  Cortlandt,  Philipse,  Minvielle,  Dudley, 
Willett  and  Pinhorn  were  sworn  members  of  his 
Council. 

MILBORNE 

All  our  sworn  foes  as  well,  perdition  catch  them! 
What  do  they  now? 

GOUVERNEUR 

When  my  messenger  came  away,  the  Governor  was 
shut  up  with  these  Councillors  and  Major  Ingoldsby. 

MILBORNE 

Then  we  shall  hear  from  him  betimes.  Have  you 
notified  all  this  to  the  Commander-in-Chief  ? 

GOUVERNEUR 

Yes,  and  he  has  sent  Ensign  Stoll  to  make  sure  the 
new  Governor  is  Sloughter. 

MILBORNE 

Fool,  fool! 

COUVERNEUR 

You  mean  Stoll? 

r 


JACOB  LEISLER  113 

MILBORNE 

I  said  'fool'  twice — do  not  tempt  me  to  say  it  a  third 
time ! 

GOUVERNEUR 

[Advancing  upon  Milborne  menacingly. 
You  have  no  warrant,  Sir,  for  such  a  word  touching 
either  the  Commander  or  me! 

[Mary  appears  timidly  at  right.  Milborne 
confronts  Gouverneur,  as  if  about  to  make 
angry  reply;  then,  seeing  Mary,  addresses  her 
with  sharp  impatience. 

MILBORNE 
Well,  what  do  you  want? 

MARY 

I  want  my  father. 

MILBORNE 

What  for? 

MARY 
Little  Francina  is  ill  and  keeps  calling  for  him. 

MILBORNE 

He  is  beset  with  public  cares,  and  has  no  time  for  sick 
children.     Quiet  her  yourself! 


ii4  JACOB  LEISLER 


MARY 

[Humbly  but  firmly. 

Mother  and  I  have  both  tried,  but  she  sends  us  away, 
and  will  have  only  her  father. 

MILBORNE 

She  cannot.    Let  that  suffice ! 

MARY 

But  her  fever  keeps  rising,  and  there  is  grave  danger. 

MILBORNE 

Then  give  her  a  sleeping  potion ! 

MARY 

But  her  father 

MILBORNE 

Go  back  and  do  as  I  bid  you! 

[During  this  interchange  Gouverneur  shows 
that  he  is  making  a  supreme  effort  to  restrain 
himself,  and,  at  Milborne's  last  command,  he 
reaches  the  limit  of  his  endurance,  and  darts 
out.  As  Mary  turns  slowly  toward  her  door, 
Milborne  continues: 


JACOB  LEISLER  1 1 5 


MILBORNE 

So  you  are  ready  to  go — now  that  Mr.  Gouverneur  is 
no  longer  here  to  pity  you! 

[She  looks  at  him  a  moment  in  dumb  anguish, 
bursts  into  tears,  and  again  starts  to  go. 
Stay,  I  would  have  further  speech  with  you  touching 
this  young  Gouverneur! 

[Leisler    comes    in    hurriedly    from    the    rear. 
Mary  rushes  to  him,  and  falls  into  his  arms. 

MARY 

Oh,  father,  poor  little  Francina  is  worse,  and  [sob- 
bing} she  keeps  calling  for  you,  and  we  can't  comfort 
her,  and 

LEISLER 

[Throwing  his  hat  into  a  corner. 
Yes,  yes,  yes,  I  know — Abraham  has  told  me.     Don't 
you  cry,  Mary!    [Pushing  her  toward  the  right.]    Tell 
Francina  vater  will  come  to  her  in  one  minute! 

[Mary  goes  quickly. 

MILBORNE 

Governor  Sloughter's  affair  can  wait,  I  suppose,  while 
you  trifle  with  woman's  work! 


n6  JACOB  LEISLER 


LEISLER 


Sloughter  can  go  to  hell — and  take  you  with  him — 
when  my  baby  calls  me. 

MILBORNE 

With  the  father  playing  nurse,  and  the  son  consorting 
with  the  enemy,  the  country  bids  fair  to  go,  too. 

LEISLER 
[Startled. 
What's  that  ?    Cobus  'consorting  with  the  enemy'  ? 

MILBORNE 

I  found  him  here  but  now  in  dalliance  with  that  brazen 
Livingston  huzzy. 

LEISLER 

What  did  she  want  here? 

MILBORNE 

Oh,  her  pretext  was  to  warn  us  that  our  enemies  have 
beguiled  the  new  Governor. 

LEISLER 

I  am  afraid  that  is  true — Gouverneur  makes  the  same 
report. 


JACOB  LEISLER  117 


MILBORNE 

Bah,  it  was  a  trick  to  betray  us!  But  when  I  offered 
to  arrest  her  as  a  spy,  she  threw  herself  upon  your  son 
and  made  threat  to  marry  him. 

LEISLER 

[Secretly  pleased,  but  willing  to  placate  Mil- 
borne. 

Robert  Livingston's  sister — threatened — to  marry — 
Cobus  ? 

[Milborne  nods. 
Jacob,  I  don't  wonder  you  lose  your  temper. 

[Holding  out  his  hand. 
Forgive  me,  I  was  unjust  to  you! 

MILBORNE 

But  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it? 

LEISLER 

[Slowly,  remembering  Milborne's  own  case. 
Well,  Jacob,  I  think  I  will  not  interfere  some  more 
in  this  love  business.    Maybe  she  was  only  joking  when 
she  made  that  threat  to  marry  Cobus.     Her  bark  is 
worse  than  her  bite. 

[Joost  Stoll  dawns  stolidly  at  the  back  door. 


n8  JACOB  LEISLER 

Ach,  Stoll,  you  saw  the  new  Governor — is  he  Slough- 
ter  for  sure? 

STOLL 

[Comes  in  solemnly,  enjoying  his  own  impor- 
tance. 
You  commanded  me  to  go.    I  went.    I  am  here. 

LEISLER 
Yes,  yes,  but  did  you  see  him? 

STOLL 

You  sent  Ensign  Joost  Stoll  because  he  is  the  only  man 
in  Fort  William  who  has  ever  seen  Governor  Slough- 
ter  in  England,  and  can  truly  report  to  you  whether 
he  is  come. 

LEISLER 

I  know  that.    Has  he  come? 

STOLL 

[Looking  reproachfully  at  Milborne. 
Some  people  say  Ensign  Joost  Stoll  is  a  fool,  but  the 
Commander-in-Chief  of  this  Province  knows  he  can 
trust  Ensign  Joost  Stoll. 


JACOB  LEISLER  119 

LEISLER 

[Taking   Stall   by   the  shoulders  and  shaking 
him. 
Will  you  answer  my  question? 

STOLL 

You  sent  me  to  England 

LEISLER 

I  sent  you  to  the  Stadt  Haus.  Did  you  see  Slaughter 
there? 

STOLL 

I  am  coming  to  that.    I  went  to  the  Stadt  Haus 

[Pause. 

LEISLER 

And  saw  Slough ter? 

STOLL 

I  went  to  the  Stadt  Haus,  and  there  was  a  great  crowd 
there,  and  a  guard  of  red-coats,  and  they  didn't  want 
to  admit  me,  but  when  I  told  them  I  was  Ensign 
Joost  Stoll,  come  from  Commander-in-Chief  Jacob 
Leisler,  with  a  message  for  Governor  Sloughter 

LEISLER 

Did  you  deliver  that  message? 


120  JACOB  LEISLER 

STOLL 

I  went  to  the  Sloughter  Haus 

LEISLER 

[His  sword-point  at  Stoll's  breast. 
You  will  go  to  the  slaughter-house  this  instant  if  you 
don't  tell  me  whether  you  saw  Sloughter! 

STOLL 

Yes,  I  saw  him. 

LEISLER 

What  did  he  say — quick ! 

STQLL 

He  was  irreverent  to  me,  for  when  I  told  him  I  was 
glad  he  was  the  same  man  I  had  seen  in  England,  he 
answered,  mighty  high-and-mighty,  'Yes,  I  have  been 
seen  in  England,  and  intend  now  to  be  seen  in  New 
York.' 

LEISLER 

But  brings  he  no  letters  or  orders  to  me  from  the 
King? 

STQLL 

No,  he  says  the  King  does  not  even  know  your  name. 


JACOB  LEISLER  121 

LEISLER 

Not  a  word  from  the  King  to  Jacob  Leisler  ? 

STOLL 

Not  a  word— either  to  you  or  to  me — and  I  kissed  his 
hand! 

LEISLER 

[Crestfallen. 
That  looks  bad,  Jacob. 

STOLL 

When  I  was  in  England 


LEISLER 

Go  to  bed,  Stoll !    You  must  be  tired. 

[Stall  salutes  with  virtuous  military  precision, 
whirls  on  his  heel  and  goes  out.  Leisler 
slowly  seats  himself  beside  the  table,  and  buries 
his  face  in  his  hands. 

Not — one  word — from  the  King — to  old  Jacob  Leis- 
ier !    He  does  not — even — know — my  name ! 

MILBORNE 
[Bitterly. 

You  had  your  chance  to  make  him  know  your  name — 
you  still  have  a  chance. 


122  JACOB  LEISLER 


LEISLER 


[Not  heeding  Milborne. 

He  sends  a  Governor  who  makes  haste  to  join  hands 
with  the  traitors  who  refused  to  proclaim  him! 


MILBORNE 


Because  William  is  an  aristocrat  and  they  are  aristo- 
crats. Are  you  an  aristocrat? 

LEISLER 

No  thanks  for  me — not  even  a  place  in  the  Council — 
honors  only  for  my  enemies — his  enemies ! 

MILBORNE 

Did  I  not  warn  you  William's  favors  are  for  them  he 
fears  ? 

LEISLER 

And  for  this  I  have  spent  two  years  righting  these 
friends  of  King  James,  these  foes  of  the  Protestant 
religion ! 

MILBORNE 
[Vehemently. 

I  tell  you,  Leisler,  it  is  no  question  of  William  or 
James,  no  question  of  Protestant  or  Catholic;  it  is 
question  only  of  those  determined  to  rule  and  those 


JACOB  LEISLER  123 

willing  to  submit.  And  you  are  willing — willing  to 
let  this  cold-blooded  King  overseas  send  his  hireling 
here  to  set  his  heel  upon  your  neck,  to  re-establish 
your  enemies  in  power,  to  turn  the  people  of  New 
York  over  from  the  tyranny  of  James  to  the  tyranny 
of  William. 

LEISLER 

No,  Jacob,  no!  It  is  question  of  God,  who  rules  us 
all,  of  God  who  makes  erring  kings  serve  purposes  that 
do  not  err.  William  may  be  unjust  to  me,  but  I  can 
not  be  disloyal  to  God — or  to  him. 

MILBORNE 

And  have  you  no  loyalty,  no  duty,  to  the  people  of 
New  York,  who  gave  you  this  charge,  who  look  to 
you  to  defend  their  rights  against  this  monstrous  con- 
spiracy of  kingly  prerogative  and  aristocratic  assump- 
tion ? 

LEISLER 

What  do  you  wish  me  to  do? 


MILBORNE 

This,  Herr  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Province  of 
New  York!     It  is  not  yet  too  late  to  send  this  Gov- 


124  JACOB  LEISLER 

ernor  Sloughter  back  to  London  to  tell  William  the 
people  of  New  York  have  made  you  their  Governor 
and  look  to  him  to  confirm  their  commission.  They 
are  with  you;  New  England  is  with  you.  America 
awaits  its  own  Oliver  Cromwell! 


LEISLER 

[Rising  and  speaking  with  solemn  earnestness. 
Aber,  Jacob,  listen  to  me!  I  think  it  is  so,  what  you 
say  about  America — but  the  time  is  not  yet.  These 
Provinces  are  too  weak  to  stand  alone.  They  need  a 
king  over  the  water  to  protect  them  from  the  other 
kings  over  the  water.  And  I  am  no  Cromwell — only  a 
broken-hearted  old  man,  who  will  not  seek  to  supplant 
the  ruler  he  has  proclaimed — no  matter  how  ungrate- 
ful that  ruler  may  be. 

[Trumpet  call  and  confused  shouting  without. 
There  is  a  summons  at  the  sallyport.  See  what  they 
want! 

[Milborne  goes,  and  Mary  returns,  carrying 
Francina  in  night-dress. 


MARY 

She  would  come  to  you. 


JACOB  LEISLER  125 


LEISLER 

[He  rushes  and  takes  the  child  in  his  arms,  kiss- 
ing and  cuddling  her.  Mary  vanishes,  content. 
Did  poor  little  sick  Francina  think  her  hard-hearted 
old  vater  never  would  come?     Didn't  he  know  she 
couldn't  go  to  sleep  anywheres  but  in  his  arms? 

[Feeling  first  the  child's  head,  then  her  feet. 
Poor  little  hot  head — poor  little  cold  feet! 

[Goes  to  fireplace,  and,  kneeling  before  it,  holds 
the  child's  feet  out  to  warm — picture  in  the 
red  firelight. 

How  did  Sister  Mary  think  Francina  could  go  to  sleep 
when  her  feet  was  so  cold  as — as  King  William's 
heart?  Such  a  foolishness,  all  this  Sloughter  business, 
when  Francina  wants  her  vater ! 

[Softly  and  with  longer  and  longer  pauses  be- 
tween words. 

There,  now — little  feet  are  nice  and  warm — and  little 
head — is  getting — nice  and  cool — and  little  Francina — 
is  going — off  to  sleep. 

[He  rises  and  paces  back  and  forth,  crooning 
a  lullaby.  Milborne  returns.  Leisler  places 
his  finger  on  his  lips,  indicating  Francina. 


126  JACOB  LEISLER 

MILBORNE 

[Low. 

Major  Ingoldsby  to  see  you,   with  a  message  from 
Sloughter. 

LEISLER 

Bring  him  in! 

[Milborne  goes,  while  Leisler  continues  to  pace 
back  and  forth  until  his  return  with  Major 
Ingoldsby,  in  full  British  uniform,  a  white 
band  on  his  left  arm,  blindfolded.  Milborne 
leads  him  to  Leisler,  and  removes  the  blind- 
fold. 

INGOLDSBY 

[Noting   Leisler's   employment,   with   haughty 
disdain. 
Are  you  Jacob  Leisler — or  one  of  his  domestics? 

LEISLER 
[With  dignity. 

I    am  Jacob   Leisler — at  his   Majesty's  service,   and 
yours. 

INGOLDSBY 
[Roaring. 

Then,   in  his  Majesty's   name,   and  by  command  of 
Governor  Sloughter,  I  demand  the  instant  surrender 


JACOB  LEISLER  127 

of  this  Fort,  and  the  release  of  Col.  Bayard  and  Mr. 

Nicolls. 

LEISLER 

[Low  and  menacing, 

Not  so  loud!  If  you  wake  this  sick  baby,  I'll  break 
your  damned  head. 

INGOLDSBY 

Moreover,  Governor  Sloughter  orders  you,  and  such 
as  are  called  your  Council,  to  report  yourselves  to 
him  at  the  City  Hall  forthwith. 

LEISLER 

I  hold  his  Majesty's  commission  as  Leftenant-Gover- 
nor  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  this  Province.  So,  I 
have  the  right  to  demand  his  Majesty's  order,  directed 
to  me,  for  the  surrender  of  his  Majesty's  Fort.  Do 
you  bring  me  such  an  order  ? 

INGOLDSBY 

No.  Neither  his  Majesty  nor  Governor  Sloughter 
take  any  notice  of  your  pretensions. 

LEISLER 

Jacob,  what  you  think  of  that,  eh? 


128  JACOB  LEISLER 

MILBORNE 

I  think  if  you  surrender  the  Fort  without  Governor 
Sloughter's  recognition  that  you  have  been  acting  as 
a  loyal  and  authorized  guardian  of  his  Majesty's  in- 
terests, you  confess  that  all  your  acts  have  been  un- 
lawful. 

INGOLDSBY 

King  William  has  sent  Governor  Sloughter  here  to 
rule  this  Province.  If  you  heed  not  his  orders,  you 
are  in  treason  to  his  Majesty. 

LEISLER 

That's  a  nice  pickle!  If  I  don't  surrender  the  Fort, 
I  am  a  damned  traitor;  if  I  do  surrender  the  Fort,  I 
am  a  damned  fool!  [Considers  a  moment]  I  will 
think  some  more  about  that  surrender  business — and 
see  what  my  Council  says. 

[His  mind  made  up. 

Jacob,  go  you  with  Mayor  De  La  Noy,  and  pay  my 
respects  to  Governor  Sloughter!  Show  him  my  com- 
mission from  King  William  and  from  the  people  of 
New  York.  Say  I  am  ready  to  turn  the  government 
over  to  him,  and  beg  him  not  to  lend  himself  to  the 
stroke  of  my  enemies,  who  are  wishing  to  cause  me 
some  mistakes  at  the  end  of  my  long  and  faithful  serv- 
ice to  my  gracious  King  and  Queen, 


JACOB  LEISLER  129 


INGOLDSBY 

But  what  answer  do  you  make  to  his  demand  for  the 
immediate  surrender  of  this  Fort? 

LEISLER 

This  answer,  Major  Ingoldsby — and,  as  a  soldier,  you 
ought  to  know  it  is  a  good  answer — by  military  law, 
no  fort  can  be  surrendered  in  the  night-time ! 

INGOLDSBY 

[Whirling  angrily  on  his  heel. 
You  shall  hear  from  us  shortly  as  to  that. 
[Starts  to  go. 

MILBORNE 

Not  without  your  blindfold,  Sir! 

[He  replaces  the  blindfold  over  Ingoldsby's 
eyes  with  discourteous  roughness,  then  leads 
him  away  with  a  jerk. 

LEISLER 

[To  child,  held  in  his  arms  during  the  preced- 
ing scene. 

However  did  Francina  sleep  through  all  that  hurly- 
burly? 

[Looking  at  her  sharply. 


130  JACOB  LEISLER 

Oho,  she  isn't  asleep!  Why,  you  make-believe,  Fran- 
cina,  to  fool  old  vater? 

[Bending  his  ear  down  to  catch  her  whispered 

reply. 

'Because  you  was  'fraid  of  big  red-mans.'  Do  you 
think  vater  would  let  big  red-mans  hurt  little  Fran- 
cina  ? 

[Cuddling  the  child  closer,  and  resuming  his 
march  to  and  fro. 

Now,  this  time,  Francina  must  go  to  sleep  for  sure, 
because  it  is  two,  three,  maybe  four  o'clock,  and  pretty 
soon  old  Fort  rooster  begin  to  crow,  when  nobody  can 
sleep. 

[Hums  lullaby  softly  for  a  turn  or  two,  then, 
half  to  himself: 

Poor  little  Francina — to  think  old  vater  neglect  his 
babins  for  a  king  away  off  yonder  who  sends  him  no 
word  of  thanks  for  all  his  faithful  service,  for  all  the 
money,  time  and  love  he  has  given,  for  all  the  bitter 
enemies  he  has  made — for  a  king  who  does  not  even 
know  his  name! 

[Gently  kisses  the  child's  hand. 

But  don't  you  mind  that,  Francina!  Maybe  now, 
after  these  two  years  of  shedding  blood  and  tears  for 
a  king  who  rather  be  served  some  other  way,  Jacob 
Leisler  may  be  given  the  reward  to  go  back  to  his 


JACOB  LEISLER  131 

own  family  and  his  own  affairs.  If  King  William 
doesn't  need  him  any  longer,  you  need  him  always! 

[A  second  trumpet  summons  is  heard,  and 
confused  voices  without.  Leisler  listens  a  mo- 
ment, looks  at  the  child  to  make  sure  she  is 
asleep,  then  tiptoes  gently  out  right.  The 
room  is  left  vacant  a  moment  during  which 
the  trumpet  call  and  tumult  are  renewed  and 
become  more  insistent.  Then  Gouverneur 
comes  hastily  from  the  rear,  looking  about 
anxiously.  Leisler  returns. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Major  Ingoldsby  at  the  sallyport  again,  Sir,  with  all 
his  force,  threatening  to  assault  the  Fort  unless  it  is 
surrendered  instantly. 

LEISLER 

Have  Milborne  and  De  La  Noy  come  back? 

GOUVERNEUR 

No.  Ingoldsby  says  Sloughter  refused  them  audience 
and  had  them  haled  off  to  gaol. 

LEISLER 

[Thunderstruck. 
A-bra-ham ! 


132  JACOB  LEISLER 

GOUVERNEUR 

I  fear  it  is  true,  Sir. 

LEISLER 

Do  our  militiamen  show  any  white  feathers? 

GOUVERNEUR 

They  are  mad  to  fight  Ingoldsby.  Not  a  man  of  the 
whole  three  hundred  but  would  lay  down  his  life  for 
you. 

LEISLER 

Where  is  Cobus? 

GOUVERNEUR 

With  his  men  at  the  Half-Moon  battery. 

LEISLER 

[His  resolution  taken. 

Sacrement!  Come,  we'll  go  on,  we'll  go  on,  and  show 
this  Governor  Sloughter  whether  he  can  abuse  King 
William's  authority  to  please  King  William's  enemies ! 
Send  the  men  to  the  parapets  and  see  they  all  have 
their  pikes!  Load  all  the  cannon  with  musket-balls, 
and  double  the  guard  at  the  sallyport. 

[  Gouverneur  starts  to  go. 

But,  Abraham — not  a  shot  must  be  fired  until  they 
begin. 


JACOB  LEISLER  133 

GOUVERNEUR 

[Turns  at  the  door  as  a  renewed  trumpet  call 
is  heard. 
What  shall  I  tell  Ingoldsby? 

LEISLER 

Tell  him  to  go  to — [checks  himself]  bed! 

[Gouverneur  whirls  away.  Leisler  rushes  to 
the  fireplace,  takes  down  his  belt,  sword  and 
pistols,  and  hastily  puts  them  on.  Putting 
his  hand  to  his  head,  he  discovers  his  hat  is 
missing,  and  looks  about  for  it  in  haste,  finally 
rescuing  it  from  the  corner  where  he  had 
thrown  it.  A  moment  or  two  after  Gouver- 
neur's  exit,  a  roll  of  drums  is  heard  without, 
then  a  confused  uproar,  and  finally  shouts  of 
'Leisler,  Leisler,  Leisler!'  Mary  reappears  at 
her  door. 

MARY 
What  is  it,  father? 

LEISLER 

Mary,  there  is  going  to  be  another  battle.  We  have 
to  show  these  red-coats  how  Dutchmen  and  French- 
men can  fight  when  nothing  else  will  do.  Keep  away 
from  the  windows,  all  of  you;  lock  the  doors;  tell 


134  JACOB  LEISLER 

mother  to  trust  in  God — and  don't  forget  to  give  Fran- 
cina  her  medicine! 

[The  third  trumpet  call  is  heard  without.  The 
light  from  the  fireplace  dies  down,  and  early 
morning  effect  is  seen  through  the  door  and 
windows  at  rear,  growing  stronger  as  the 

action  progresses. 

There  goes  Ingoldsby's  last  summons — he  will  open 
fire  next. 

[Holding  out  his  arms,  into  which  she  rushes. 
And  if  old  vater  shouldn't  see  you  any  more,  remem- 
ber always  his  heart  is  full  of  gratefulness  for  all  you 
did  for  him — and  of  grief  for  all  it  cost  you!  Now 
go — quick! 

[Mary  does  so.     Gouverneur  comes  back. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Major  Ingoldsby  once  more,  Sir,  with  a  message  of 
peace  from  Governor  Sloughter. 

LEISLER 
In  God's  name,  bring  him  in! 

[Gouverneur  goes.  Leisler  lays  aside  his  hat 
and  extinguishes  the  candles — /'/  is  now  broad 
daylight.  Groans  and  execrations  are  heard 
without  as  Gouverneur  returns  with  In- 
goldsby. 


JACOB  LEISLER  135 


INGOLDSBY 


Captain  Leisler,  it  is  now  daylight,  so  your  objection 
to  surrender  the  Fort  in  the  night  no  longer  holds  good. 
Governor  Sloughter  and  members  of  his  Council  ask 
permission  to  confer  with  you  about  the  matter  here. 


LEISLER 


Am  I  to  understand  that  Governor  Sloughter  agrees  to 
treat  me  as  he  ought  an  official  ready  to  give  him  an 
exact  account  of  all  his  actions  and  conduct? 


INGOLDSBY 

I  can  assure  you  he  will  treat  you  exactly  as  you 
ought  to  be  treated. 

LEISLER 

That  is  all  I  ask.  Abraham,  go  to  the  sallyport,  admit 
Governor  Sloughter  and  his  Council  and  bring  them 
here.  [Gouverneur  salutes  and  departs]  You  see, 
Major,  all  this  trouble  and  bloodshed  might  have  been 
avoided  if  you  had  shown  me  any  order  from  the  King 
to  surrender  the  Fort  to  you.  I  don't  think  you  had 
such  an  order,  and  without  it  you  were  subject  to  my 
commands — not  I  to  yours. 


136  JACOB  LEISLER 


INGOLDSBY 

All  of  which  you  will  do  better  to  certify  to  his  Ex- 
cellency. 

[Pere  Millet  comes  in  from  the  rear. 

LEISLER 

[Gayly. 

Aha,  mon  ami,  vous  arrivez  de  bonne  heure!  Major 
Ingoldsby,  here  is  one  of  my  prisoners  who  has  made 
me  captive — Pere  Millet,  Major. 

[Pere  Millet  bows  with  grave  courtesy:  In- 
goldsby takes  no  notice  of  the  introduction. 
He  is  a  black-robe  Papist,  and  a  subject  of  Louis  XIV, 
but  I  think  he  is  quite  so  like  to  go  to  heaven  as  that 
old  rogue,  Dominie  Selyns,  that  Dutch-Frenchman  and 
Protestant  upholder  of  King  James. 

PERE   MILLET 

My  son,  I  shall  to  thank  le  bon  Dieu  if  he  have 
let  me  show  you  it  is  not  need  the  black  robe  shall 
cover  the  black  heart. 

[Leisler  goes  to  Pere  Millet  and  takes  his  hand. 
Gouverneur  returns,  escorting  in  Van  Cort- 
landt  and  Philipse,  then  Sloughter,  a  red-faced, 
dissipated-looking  man,  somewhat  past  middle 


JACOB  LEISLER  137 

age,  wearing  the  uniform  of  a  British  colonel. 
All  have  white  bands  on  their  left  arms. 
They  go  to  Ingoldsby. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Leftenant-Governor  Leisler,  this  is  Governor  Slough- 
ter. 

LEISLER 

[Goes  to  Sloughter  and  offers  his  hand. 
Your  Excellency  must  pardon  that  I  have  not  taken 
earlier  occasion  to  bid  you  welcome,  but  the  Major 
here  has  made  it  rather  difficult  to  leave  the  Fort. 

SLOUGHTER 

[Haughtily  ignoring  Leisler's  hand. 
Are  you  now  ready  to  leave  the  Fort? 

LEISLER 
[Nettled. 

Yes — if  you  are  ready  to  receive  it  from  me  as  one 
officer  of  King  William  accepts  'the  charge  of  King 
William's  property  from  another  officer  of  King  Wil- 
liam. 

SLOUGHTER 

Why  do  you  seek  to  make  terms  with  me,  Sir? 


138  JACOB  LEISLER 

LEISLER 

Because  you  have  listened  only  to  my  enemies — because 
you  have  imprisoned  members  of  my  Council  sent  to 
you.  It  does  not  so  much  matter  what  becomes  of 
old  Jacob  Leisler,  but  the  people  of  New  York  gave 
me  this  command,  and  I  must  be  sure  the  people  of 
New  York  do  not  suffer  because  I  lay  it  down. 

SLOUGHTER 

You  are  disloyal,  Sir.  The  Lords  and  Commons  of 
England  choose  their  own  rulers — the  people  of  New 
York  do  not. 

LEISLER 

Not  so  fast,  Governor  Sloughter !  The  people  of  New 
York  had  to  choose  between  the  officers  of  a  king 
who  had  deserted  his  throne  and  rulers  of  their  own. 
And  King  William  himself  approved  their  action  by 
his  letter  confirming  my  authority.  So  it  is  you  who 
are  disloyal  to  his  Majesty  when  you  undertake  to 
discredit  me  to  please  King  James's  followers. 

SLOUGHTER 

This  is  trifling,  Sir.  Your  position  is  as  untenable  in 
fact  as  it  is  in  theory.  I  have  two  companies  of 


JACOB  LEISLER  139 

English  grenadiers,  and  the  man-of-war  Archangel  to 
back  up  my  demand  for  instant  possession  of  this  Fort. 

LEISLER 
[Gravely. 

When  it  comes  to  that,  Sir,  I  have  here  a  garrison  of 
nearly  four  hundred  burghers,  mad  to  fight  your  red- 
coats, and  stores  of  ammunition  and  provisions  to  stand 
a  siege.  And  when  your  attack  begins  you  will  find  ten 
men  outside  the  Fort  for  every  one  inside  it  ready  to 
resist  you. 

SLOUGHTER 

[Startled  and  taking  a  more  moderate  tone. 
But  these  gentlemen  tell  me  the  people  are  not  all  on 
your  side. 

LEISLER 

No,  not  quite  all.  There  are  a  few  rascals  in  New 
York  as  well  as  in  old  England.  But  how  will  his 
Majesty  like  that  you  begin  your  rule  here  with  a 
civil  war — especially  when  you  get  the  worst  of  it  ? 

SLOUGHTER 

[7n  a  crestfallen  whisper  to  Van  Cortlandt  and 
Philipse. 

Zounds,  gentlemen,  I  fear  the  fellow  has  us  on  the 
hip! 


140  JACOB  LEISLER 

[They  nod  assent. 
Well,  Captain  Leisler,  just  what  do  you  ask  me  to  do? 


LEISLER 

I  have  already  told  you — I  ask  to  be  treated  as  one  of 
King  William's  loyal  governors  who  surrenders  his 
charge  to  another.  I  ask  you  to  release  Major  Mil- 
borne  and  Mayor  De  La  Noy,  to  treat  my  Council, 
and  the  other  people  of  the  Province  who  have  sup- 
ported me,  as  faithful  subjects  of  his  Majesty,  and  to 
permit  my  garrison  to  retain  their  own  arms,  sur- 
rendering only  what  belongs  to  the  King. 


SLOUGHTER 

And  if  I  do  all  this,  will  you  march  out  of  the  Fort 
and  turn  over  your  authority,  stores  and  prisoners 
to  me? 

LEISLER 

Most  gladly. 

SLOUGHTER 

Then  I  accept  your  proposition — subject  to  the  ap- 
proval of  my  Council,  of  course.  What  say  you,  gen- 
tlemen— this  is  the  wisest  course,  is  it  not? 


JACOB  LEISLER  141 


VAN   CORTLANDT 

[Low. 
For  the  present — yes,  your  Excellency. 


PHILIPSE 
[Low. 
Yes,  for  the  present. 

SLOUGHTER 

Then  we  may  consider  the  matter  settled,  and  I  should 
like  you  to  give  the  necessary  orders  at  once. 


LEISLER 

Abraham,  order  the  Captains  to  withdraw  their  men 
from  the  parapets,  form  by  companies  and  march  out 
to  the  Bowling  Green,  where  they  will  salute  the  new 
garrison  as  it  enters  the  Fort.  Beg  them  to  give  the 
new  Governor  the  same  loyal  support  they  have  given 
me,  and  [with  emotion]  tell  them  Jacob  Leisler  thanks 
them  with  all  his  heart  for  the  devotion  they  have 
given  the  old  man  who  now  so  gladly  lays  down  the 
burden  of  care  there  is  no  longer  need  for  him  to  bear ! 
Go  yourself  and  release  Col.  Bayard  and  Mr.  Nicolls 
and  bring  them  here. 

[Gouverneur  departs  on  this  errand. 


142  JACOB  LEISLER 


SLOUGHTER 

Major  Ingoldsby,  you  will  march  your  force  into  the 

Fort  as  soon  as  it  is  vacated. 

[Ingoldsby  salutes,  and  starts  to  go,  when  he  is 
detained  for  a  moment's  whispered  conversa- 
tion by  Van  Cortlandt  and  Philipse.  There 
are  sounds  of  angry  protest  without,  then 
drum-taps  diminuendo,  as  of  troops  marching 
away.  Leisler  listens  a  moment,  then  to 
Slaughter: 

LEISLER 

You  hear  those  rascals?  They  have  held  the  Fort  so 
long  they  think  it  belongs  to  them.  And  then — maybe 
you  don't  know  those  pig-head  Dutchmen? — they 
didn't  want  to  fight  when  first  the  Major  fired  on  the 
Fort — and  now  they  don't  want  to  quit ! 


SLOUGHTER 

[To  Van  Cortlandt  and  Philipse. 
I  wonder  not  you  murmur,  gentlemen,  having  a  so 
turbulent  rabble  to  reckon  with. 

[To  Leisler,  indicating  Pere  Millet. 
Who  is  this  person,  and  what  is  he  doing  here? 


JACOB  LEISLER  1431 

LEISLER 

I  beg  your  Excellency  will  pardon  my  neglect.  Venez 
ici,  mon  ami!  This  is  Pere  Millet,  a  French  priest, 
taken  prisoner  by  our  Indians  while  he  was  praying 
with  a  sick  squaw.  I  thought  he  was  a  spy  for  Fron- 
tenac,  but  I  find  he  is  only  a  spy  for  God,  so  I  recom- 
mend that  your  Excellency  send  him  back  to  France — 
there  is  really  no  charge  against  him. 

[Gouverneur  returns,  followed  by  Bayard  and 
Nicolls,  unkempt,  haggard,  and  hatless.  Gouv- 
erneur indicates  his  charges,  salutes  Leisler, 
and  again  departs. 


SLOUGHTER 

He  seems  to  have  enjoyed  more  liberty  than  some  of 
your  other  prisoners. 

LEISLER 

Liberty,  your  Excellency,  is  for  honest  men,  not  for 
rogues  such  as — permit  me  to  introduce  Col.  Bayard 
and  Mr.  Nicolls! 

SLOUGHTER 

I  am  gratified  to  meet  you,  gentlemen,  and  to  rescue 
you  from  your  unhappy  situation. 


144  JACOB  LEISLER 


BAYARD 


We  are  humbly  grateful  to  your  Excellency  for  deliv- 
erance from  this  barbarous,  bloody-minded  tyrant. 


NICQLLS 

And  trust  no  mistaken  clemency,  no  legal  quibble,  may 
save  his  neck  from  the  halter.  Lex  dubia  non  obligat. 

[Bayard  and  Nicolls  are  warmly  greeted  by 
Van  Cortlandt  and  Philipse,  with  whom  they 

exchange  excited  whispers. 


LEISLER 

When  it  comes  to  hanging,  your  Excellency  will  note 
that  if  I  had  been  the  bloody-minded  tyrant  these  ras- 
cals say — they  would  not  be  here  to  say  it. 


SLOUGHTER 

Gentlemen,  gentlemen,  I  must  fain  cry,  with  Mercu- 
tio,  'A  plague  o'  both  your  houses!'  A  truce  to  recrimi- 
nation !  Captain  Leisler  has  surrendered  the  Fort  and 
I  have  agreed  to  treat  him  as  his  Majesty's  officer. 
What  more? 


JACOB  LEISLER  145 


BAYARD 

This,  your  Excellency !  Your  agreement  with  Captain 
Leisler  was  made  subject  to  the  approval  of  your  Coun- 
cil. I  am  told  that  I  and  Mr.  Nicolls  are  named 
members  of  your  Council  by  his  Majesty,  and  we  de- 
mand that  this  fellow  be  tried  for  his  crimes. 

LEISLER 

[To  Slaughter,  astounded. 
Bayard  and  Nicolls  members  of  your  Council? 

SLOUGHTER 

Such  is  his  Majesty's  command.  But  I  do  not  see  how 
that  affects  my  agreement. 

PHILIPSE 

Your  Excellency's  agreement  was  based  on  the  pre- 
sumption that  Captain  Leisler  had  been  loyal  to  King 
William.  Col.  Bayard  and  Mr.  Nicolls  bring  new 
evidence  that  he  was  in  treason  to  his  Majesty. 

SLOUGHTER 
[Sharply. 
What  evidence? 

[The   subsequent    accusations    against    Leisler 
are  rehearsed  with  breathless  haste. 


146  JACOB  LEISLER 

BAYARD 

Evidence  that  he  plotted  to  make  himself  king  of  his 
Majesty's  American  Provinces.  We  have  both  heard 
him  say  that  if  he  were  not  continued  Governor,  he 
would  hold  the  Fort  despite  his  Majesty. 

NICOLLS 

And  that  the  King  is  only  a  servant  of  his  subjects — 
vox  populi  est  vox  Dei. 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

Touching  your  Excellency's  present  Councillors,  he 
declared  that  if  the  King  should  send  three  thousand 
such  he  would  cut  them  all  off. 

BAYARD 

Moreover,  he  kept  in  pay  a  pirate  to  carry  him  to  the 
coast  of  Guinea  upon  your  arrival. 

NICOLLS 

With  hot  shot  ready  to  burn  the  town  if  you  refused 
to  treat  with  him. 

BAYARD 

Saying  he  had  ruled  by  the  sword  and  would  go  on  so. 


JACOB  LEISLER  147 


NICOLLS 

And  that  if  he  sent  for  any  man's  head  it  would  pres- 
ently be  brought  to  him. 

PHILIPSE 

Moreover,   he   likened   himself   to   King  William   in 

seizing  the  command. 

[From  without  come  sounds  of  distant  disturb- 
ance, shouts  of  'Rob  them!'  'Beat  them!' 
'Take  their  guns  away  from  the  rascals' 

SLOUGHTER 

Hark!    What  is  that  disturbance? 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

Doubtless  a  fresh  outbreak  of  the  rabble  against  your 
Excellency's  authority. 

SLOUGHTER 

[To  Leisler,  sternly. 
Well,  Sir,  what  do  you  reply  to  these  charges? 

LEISLER 

Nothing — I  am  not  on  trial.    But  it  may  occur  to  your 
Excellency  that  I  have  not  made  myself  king,  I  have 


148  JACOB  LEISLER 

not  refused  to  proclaim  William  and  Mary  as  these 
rascals  did,  I  have  not  failed  to  surrender  the  Fort  to 
you,  I  have  not  sent  for  any  man's  head,  I  have  not 
burnt  the  town,  and  I  have  not  run  away  to  Guinea 
with  a  pirate. 

PERE   MILLET 

[Slowly  picking  out  his  words. 

If  your  Excellence  deign  pardon  one  little  word  to  a 
prisoner  poor,  I  wish  call  to  attest  of  Heaven  the 
Power  Supreme  that  the  Commander  Leisler  himself 
devotes  always  to  the  service  of  your  King. 

\lngoldsby  comes  back  hurriedly,  followed  by 
a  guard  of  red-coat  soldiers,  carrying  muskets 
with  fixed  bayonets. 

INGOLDSBY 

[Impetuously. 

Governor  Sloughter,  the  town  is  in  an  uproar,  and 
only  sharp  measures  will  prevent  an  open  revolt. 

[Gouverneur  rushes  in  and  goes  to  Leisler. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Commander  Leisler,  our  troops  were  set  upon  by  the 
red-coats  as  they  were  marching  out  of  the  Fort,  and 
vilified,  beaten  and  robbed  of  their  arms. 


JACOB  LEISLER  149 

INGOLDSBY 

The  rabble  taunted  them  to  attack  us,  and  I  had  to 
disarm  them  to  prevent  bloodshed. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Our  troops  were  in  order,  Sir.  With  my  own  eyes,  I 
saw  Major  Ingoldsby  incite  his  men  to  attack  them. 

INGOLDSBY 

'Tis  false!    They  began  it. 

LEISLER 

Governor  Sloughter,  you  gave  me  your  word  that  my 
men  should  be  treated  as  loyal  subjects  to  his  Majesty, 
and  should  be  allowed  to  keep  their  arms. 

INGOLDSBY 

With  an  armed  rabble  and  this  fellow  to  lead  them 
we  shall  never  have  peace. 

[Ingoldsby  and  the  Councillors  crowd  around 
Sloughter  and  importune  him. 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

Your  Council  demand  his  arrest! 


150  JACOB  LEISLER 

SLOUGHTER 

[Helplessly. 
But  my  word,  gentlemen,  my  word! 

BAYARD 

Traitors  have  no  right  to  make  terms. 

LEISLER 

[With  vehemence. 
Governor  Sloughter! 

[The  Councillors  recoil  and  Sloughter  turns  to 
Leisler. 

These  men  are  my  enemies.  They  have  hatched  this 
plot  to  destroy  me.  It  is  they  who  are  traitors  to  his 
Majesty,  traitors  to  the  people  of  New  York,  and 
traitors  to  you,  when  they  try  to  make  you  break  your 
word  and  become  their  tool  and  catspaw,  the  biggest 
traitor  of  them  all! 

INGOLDSBY  AND  COUNCIL 

[In  pretended  horror, 
A-h-h-h! 

SLOUGHTER 

Enough,  Sir!    Your  sword! 


JACOB  LEISLER  151 

LEISLER 

[Drawing  his  sword  and  standing  at  bay. 
Let  those  who  want  my  sword  come  and  take  it! 

[Gouverneur  draws  and  springs  to  Leisler's 
side,  while  the  soldiers,  at  a  signal  from  In- 
goldsby,  form  a  semi-circle  ready  to  attack 
them. 

PERE    MILLET 

[A  gently  restraining  hand  on  Leisler's  arm. 
Non,  non,  mon  ami — c'est  trop  tard !    Remember  your 
family !    Remember  the  people  who  look  to  you  for  ex- 
ample!    Confide  you  in  your  King!     Confide  you  in 
the  King  of  Kings ! 

[Tableau:  Leisler's  face  shows  his  bitter 
struggle  between  flaming  indignation  and  recog- 
nition of  the  hopelessness  of  resistance.  Finally, 
with  a  supreme  effort  at  self-control,  he  slowly 
takes  his  sword-blade  in  his  left  hand  and  ten- 
ders the  hilt  to  Slaughter,  who  takes  it. 


SLOUGHTER 

I  am  instructed  by  his  Majesty  to  inquire  strictly  and 
impartially  into  your  case.     I  shall  appoint  a  special 


152  JACOB  LEISLER 

court  to  try  you  and  your  accomplices  for  treason. 

Bind  him! 

[The  soldiers  rush  at  Leisler  and  treat  him 
with  extreme  indignity,  taking  his  sash,  pistols, 
coat  and  wig,  forcing  him  to  his  knees  and 
binding  his  arms  behind  him.  Gouverneur  is 
disarmed  and  bound  also.  Leisler  is  tenderly 
helped  to  his  feet  by  Pere  Millet. 

LEISLER 

Never  mind  about  me,  mon  ami!  I  was  taken  by 
Turkish  pirates  once — this  is  not  much  worse. 

BAYARD 

If  your  Excellency  will  permit,  I  should  like  to  sug- 
gest that  this  villain  be  shut  up  in  the  same  hole  where 
he  has  kept  me,  and  be  manacled  by  the  same  chain 
he  had  put  upon  my  leg. 

SLOUGHTER 

It  shall  be  done. 

[Mary  comes  in  with  a  tray. 
Well,  young  woman,  what  do  you  want  here? 

MARY 

I  have  brought  my  father's  coffee,  Sir. 


JACOB  LEISLER  153 

LEISLER 

I  think  I  will  take  my  coffee  in  gaol  this  morning, 
Mary. 

[To  Pere  Millet. 
You  will  join  me,  mon  ami? 

PERE  MILLET 

[Lifting  his  crucifix. 

Mon  fils,  it  is  my  mission  to  hold  up  before  all  perse- 
cuted and  suffering  men  the  emblem  of  Him  who  was 
persecuted,  suffered  and  died  for  us  all. 

SLOUGHTER 

Take  him  away! 

[As  Gouverneur  is  being  led  off  after  Leisler, 
Mary  timidly  places  her  hand  on  his  arm,  in 
sympathy  and  appeal,  but  he  turns  sadly  and 
coldly  away,  to  her  manifest  distress. 

LEISLER 

[Whirls  suddenly  at  the  door  and  roars  back  at 
the  conspirators: 

I  appeal  from  King  William's  Governor  to  King  Wil- 
liam himself! 


ACT  IV 

You  see  the  richly-furnished  reception  room  of  Col. 
Bayard's  house,  on  the  night  of  May  14,  i6gi.  The 
door  at  the  right  leads  to  the  entrance  hall;  that  at 
the  left  to  the  inner  apartments.  Near  you  on  the  left 
is  a  table  upon  which  are  a  punch  bowl,  numerous 
glasses,  and  a  lighted  candle.  Opposite  this  table,  on 
the  right  side  of  the  room,  is  a  window  showing  with- 
out the  end  of  a  flag-staff  with  an  English  flag  on 
a  halyard  draped  on  a  chair  within,  ready  to  be  run 
out. 

Music  and  revelry  are  heard  from  the  inner  rooms, 
as  Peter  comes  from  the  hall,  showing  in  Ingoldsby. 

PETER 

I  will  tell  Governor  Sloughter  you  wish  to  see  him, 
Major  Ingoldsby. 

INGOLDSBY 

[Showing  a  document  held  in  his  hand. 
Say  to  his  Excellency  it  is  matter  of  pressing  moment. 

PETER 

Yes,  Sir. 

[Starts  to  go. 

154 


JACOB  LEISLER  155 


INGOLDSBY 


Stay,  Peter!    I  will  see  Col.  Bayard  first — his  guests 
can  spare  him  a  moment,  surely  ? 


PETER 
[Hesitating. 

He  is  celebrating  his  daughter's  wedding,  you  know — 
but  I  can  give  him  your  message. 

INGOLDSBY 

Do  so — tell  him  it  is  most  serious! 

[Peter  goes  out  left,  while  Ingoldsby  walks  to 
and  fro  in  agitation,  scanning  the  document 
he  holds,  until  Bayard  appears,  in  gala  attire, 
a  glass  of  wine  in  his  hand. 

BAYARD 

You  are  late,  Major — my  daughter  is  already  a  bride 
— but  [offering  the  wine}  you  shall  drink  to  her  hap- 
piness. 

INGOLDSBY 

I  bring  you  news  which  will  blast  your  happiness — as 
it  has  mine. 


156  JACOB  LEISLER 

BAYARD 

Oh,  I  am  beyond  reprisal!  With  my  daughter  well 
married,  with  Leisler  and  Milborne  condemned,  and 
his  Excellency  pledged  to  sign  their  death-warrant  at 
once — nothing  can  touch  me  now. 

INGOLDSBY 

[Showing    document. 

Nothing  but  this — a  letter  to  Governor  Sloughter  from 
the  Earl  of  Nottingham,  sending  King  William's  re- 
prieve for  any  condemned  by  our  court. 

BAYARD 

[Thunderstruck,  placing  the  wine-glass  on  the 
table  unsteadily. 
Major! 

INGOLDSBY 

Read  for  yourself! 

BAYARD 

[Runs  over  the  document  hastily. 
'By  intercession  of  Capt.  Benjamin  Blagge' — that  pes- 
tilent Leislerite  who  went  abroad — 'his  Majesty  re- 
minds   Governor    Sloughter    of    the    instructions    to 


JACOB  LEISLER  157 

strictly  and  impartially  inquire  into  the  causes  of  the 
late  disturbances' — 

[Mumbles  over  some  intervening  phrases. 
— 'his  Majesty's  reprieve  for  any  condemned,  and  the 
withholdment  of  sentence  until  his  royal  pleasure  may 
be  further  known.' 

,     [Pause. 
This  is  grave,  Major ! 

INGOLDSBY 

'Grave!'    Damme,  it's  disastrous!     When  his  Excel- 
lency reads  that,  he  will  never  sign  the  death-warrant. 
[Holds  out  his  hand  for  the  letter. 

BAYARD 

[Resolutely  putting  the  document  behind  him. 
It  must  not  come  to  his  hand  until  the  death-warrant 
is  signed  and  executed ! 

INGOLDSBY 

Zounds,    Colonel,    that    is    a    desperate    recourse — it 
might  cost  me  my  commission! 

BAYARD 

And  if  that  villain  Leisler  lives  to  plead  before  the 
King,  how  will  your  commission  fare? 


158  JACOB  LEISLER 


INGOLDSBY 


[Doubtfully. 

With  the  governor  in  his  cups,  and  our  friends  press- 
ing for  sentence,  the  thing  might  succeed. 


BAYARD 

It  must  succeed.    How  came  this  letter  to  hand? 

INGOLDSBY 

With  others  by  the  ship  Bear,  just  arrived  from  Lon- 
don direct. 

BAYARD 

Then  it  is  like  Capt.  Blagge  hath  sent  news  of  the 
reprieve  by  the  same  post  to  some  of  the  rabble  here. 
Go  you  at  once  and  seize  any  such ! 

[Urging  Ingoldsby   away,   and  returning   the 
document. 

Meanwhile  you  can  mislay  my  Lord  Nottingham's  let- 
ter in  some  safe  place. 

INGOLDSBY 

I'm  damnably  qualmish  about  this  enterprise,  Colonel. 


JACOB  LEISLER  159 


BAYARD 


[Again  pressing  the  wine  upon  him. 
Here,  let  a  soldier's  comfort  restore  you  to  a  soldier's 


courage 


[Ingoldsby  drinks. 

Now,  off  with  you  to  the  Stadt  Haus,  make  all  se- 
cure, and  come  back  speedily — we  shall  need  you  here ! 
[Bayard  hurries  Ingoldsby  out  toward  the  en- 
trance hall  in  earnest  conference.     The  voice 
of  Miss  Livingston  is  heard  coming  from  the 
inner  rooms. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Confess,  now,  Sir  Bachelor,  you  envied  the  bridegroom 
most  sourly! 

[She  comes  in  on  Nicolls's  arm,  both  in  wed- 
ding bravery. 

NICOLLS 

Indeed,  Madam,  I  had  been  well  content  to  occupy 
his  station  if  the  bride  had  been  one  I  might  mention. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Fie,  fie,  you  play  upon  a  woman's  weakest  rampart, 
her  curiosity!  Name  this  'proachless  paragon,  and  let 
me  be  your  envoy  at  her  court! 


160  JACOB  LEISLER 

NICOLLS 

I  could  ask  no  more  potent  ambassadress,  for,  mutato 
nomine  de  te  fabula  narratur. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

I  shall  beseech  our  learned  Governor  Sloughter  to 
translate  that  for  me — if,  indeed,  he  is  not  too  far 
gone  in  drink  to  understand  even  plain  English. 

NICOLLS 

Zounds,  I  hope  not,  for  he  has  important  business  yet 
to-night — the  warrant  for  the  execution  of  Leisler  and 
Milborne  is  still  unsigned. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

But  they  have  appealed  from  the  judgment  of  your 
court  to  the  King.  Surely  his  Excellency  will  not  deny 
them  that  right? 

NICOLLS 

Bah,  they  have  no  such  right!  The  Governor  stands 
for  the  King  here — in  loco  regis. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

But  they  denied  the  jurisdiction  of  your  court,  did  they 


JACOB  LEISXER  161 

not,  when  you  refused  to  rule  on  whether  your  King's 
letter  to  Nicholson  gave  Leisler  authority? 


NICOLLS 


Another  technicality!  His  Excellency  brushed  that 
plea  aside,  and,  since  they  allowed  themselves  to  be 
condemned  as  mutes,  they  shall  be  executed  as  mutes. 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 


Tyrannical  and  hot-headed  as  the  man  was,  your  wor- 
shipful William  can  hardly  sanction  the  execution  of 
one  who  ruled  the  Province  for  two  years  in  his  name. 


NICOLLS 

His  Majesty  must  needs  sanction  what  is  done  by  his 
own  Governor — especially,  when  it  can't  be  undone — 
factum  est. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

I  marvel  not,  Mr.  Nicolls,  that  you,  who  have  felt 
Leisler's  heavy  hand,  are  bitter  for  his  death.  But  I 
hear,  also,  that  the  people  are  much  displeasured,  and 
have  petitioned  Governor  Sloughter  to  refer  the  matter 
to  London. 


1 62  JACOB  LEISLER 


NICOLLS 

Oh,  the  voice  of  the  rabble  is  ever  for  misrule,  but 
the  best  people  of  the  Province  are  hot  for  the  punish- 
ment of  this  German  upstart — chief  among  them  your 
brother! 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

I'  faith,  if  my  brother  is  for  the  thing,  it  must  be 
wrong!  Which  will  you  stand  with,  my  brother  or 
me? 

NICOLLS 

Madam,  you  set  my  hard  head  in  arms  against  my 
soft  heart.  How  shall  I  resolve  the  quarrel  ? 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

By  sending  Governor  Sloughter  to  me  here,  at  once, 
before  his  soft  head  has  quite  yielded  to  the  blandish- 
ments of  Col.  Bayard's  punch. 

NICOLLS 

Agreed ! 

[Nicolls  returns  to  the  inner  rooms,  and  Miss 
Livingston  drops  her  mask  of  badinage,  show- 
ing grave  concern.  As  she  walks  back  and 
forth  in  perplexity,  she  notices  the  flag.  She 


JACOB  LEISLER  163 

examines  it  curiously  at  first,  then  with  star- 
tled understanding  of  its  meaning,  deepening 
into  pantomimed  alarm.  Slaughter  appears  in 
the  left  doorway.  He  is  richly  attired,  and, 
without  being  absolutely  tipsy,  manifests  spir- 
ituous elevation. 

SLOUGHTER 

Madam,  this  is  the  most  exquisite  moment  of  a  most 
delightful  occasion — Col.  Bayard's  charming  hospital- 
ity crowned  by  beauty's  commands.  His  Majesty  must 
hear  how  New  York  welcomes  his  new  Governor. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Your  Excellency  is  pleased  to  flatter  our  poor  Province. 
But,  if  you  will  permit  me,  there  is  matter  more 
pressing  for  his  Majesty's  hearing. 

SLOUGHTER 

[He  goes  and  takes  her  hand  with  effusive  gal- 
lantry. 
Miss  Livingston  has  but  to  speak  and  I  obey. 

[Kissing  her  hand  and  continuing  to  hold  it. 
She  will  find  Henry  Sloughter's  official  armor  covers 
a  heart  most  tender  and  susceptible. 


1 64  JACOB  LEISLER 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

That  is  reassuring,  for  the  case  is  one  in  which  my  own 
feelings  are  warmly  aroused — I  mean  this  appeal  of 
Leisler  and  Milborne  to  your  King. 

SLOUGHTER 

Have  no  fear,  Madam!  I  quite  agree  with  you  that 
never  greater  rascals  lived,  and  I  have  just  promised 
your  brother  they  shall  be  hanged  out  of  hand. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Withdrawing  her  hand. 

Your  Excellency  mistakes  me.  So  far  from  standing 
with  my  brother,  I  believe  the  execution  of  these  poor 
men  would  be  a  cruel  murder  for  which  King  William 
would  hold  you  much  to  blame.  If  they  were  usurpers, 
what  was  he? 

SLOUGHTER 

Odsbud,  Madam,  this  is  treason  to  your  King,  as  well 
as  to  your  class.    And  yet,  egad,  I  like  your  spirit. 
[He  pours  a  glass  of  punch  and  drinks  it,  after 
she  has  declined. 

I'm  most  extraordinarily  fond  of  spirit,  and  when  it 
goes  with  red  lips  and  bright  eyes,  Gadzooks,  I'm  less 


JACOB  LEISLER  165 

like  to  put  the  traitor  in  gaol  than  to  stop  her  mouth 
some  other  way. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

I  would  fain  persuade  you,  Sir,  that  this  is  a  very 
grave  matter — for  you  as  well  as  for  these  men.  They 
were  loyal  to  your  King,  and  they  have  many  adherents 
in  the  Province.  You  have  heard  but  one  side  of  the 
story. 

SLOUGHTER 

[Starting  toward  her. 

Your  own  fair  lips  shall  whisper  the  other  side  in  my 
ear. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Offering  to  flee,  then  suddenly  turning  and 

taking  his  hands  archly. 

Does  your  Excellency  wish  to  prove  that  all  your  gal- 
lant speeches  mean  me  rather  than  any  woman  foolish 
enough  to  lend  ear  to  your  flattery? 


SLOUGHTER 

Madam,  I  am  overwhelmed  at  the  prospect  of  such  a 
privilege. 


1 66  JACOB  LEISLER 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 


Then  send  for  Capt.  Leisler — now,  at  once — and  let 
him  plead  his  own  cause  before  you !  He  has  had  no 
chance  to  be  heard  by  any  but  his  enemies. 


SLOUGHTER 

Zounds,  Madam,  ask  me  anything  but  that!  The 
Court  has  given  sentence — the  Council  and  Assembly 
urge  its  execution. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

You  have  not  yet  signed  the  death  warrant. 

SLOUGHTER 

But  I  have  promised  to — I  am  going  to — and  this 
boor's  reproaches  would  not  move  me  not  to. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

I  beseech  you  hear  him — for  my  sake,  if  not  for  his 
own. 

SLOUGHTER 

But,  Madam 


JACOB  LEISLER  167 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 


[Flaming  away  from  him. 

'But,  but,  but,  but,  but' — but,  Sir,  you  make  me  your 
butt  when  you  promise  so  gallantly,  and  come  so 
lamely  off  at  the  proof! 


SLOUGHTER 

Indeed,  I  protest,  Madam 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Turning  her  back  upon  him. 

Protest  me  no  protests — I  will  never  more  believe  man ! 
[Ingoldsby  returns. 


[Catches  sight  of  Ingoldsby,  hesitates,  then: 
Major   Ingoldsby,  go  to  the  Fort  and  bring  Capt. 
Leisler  to  me  here  under  guard — at  once,  Major! 


INGOLDSBY 
[In  a  panic. 
I  beg  your  Excellency's  pardon,  but 


1 68  JACOB  LEISLER 

SLOUGHTER 

[Stamping  in  anger. 
Not  a  word,  Sir — go! 

\lngoldsby,  with  a  humble  gesture  of  assent, 

starts  for  the  inner  rooms,  meaning  to  warn 
Bayard. 
That  is  not  the  way  to  the  Fort — as  you  came ! 

[Ingoldsby  rushes  out  right. 
Now,  Madam,  will  you  believe  me? 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[So  much  elated  that  she  drops  diplomacy. 
Governor  Sloughter,  you  make  me  glad  that  I  appealed 
from  Caesar  sober  to  Caesar  drunk. 

SLOUGHTER 

Drunk  only  with  your  beauty,  and  mad  regret  that  I 
am  no  longer  free  to  lay  my  fortunes  at  your  feet. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Your  fortunes  shall  be  more  beholden  to  my  head  than 
to  my  feet. 

[Pointing. 
Do  you  see  that  flag  ? 


JACOB  LEISLER  169 

SLOUGHTER 

In  your  presence  I  can  see  only  you. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Let  me  tell  you  what  this  flag  means.  It  is  made 
ready  to  signal  to  New  York  the  signing  of  the  death- 
warrant  which  Capt.  Leisler's  enemies  make  sure  you 
will  not  refuse  them. 

SLOUGHTER 

I  can  easier  understand  their  intolerance  than  your 
tolerance  of  this  upstart. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

I  do  admire  to  hear  one  commissionate  by  the  Prince  of 
Orange  prate  of  upstarts.  Listen,  Sir  Turncoat!  A 
King  is  a  King,  and  when  his  people  depose  him  the 
people  become  King.  You  served  King  James  yester- 
day; you  serve  King  William  to-day;  to-morrow  you 
will  serve  the  King  who  set  James  aside  for  William. 
Beware,  then,  Sir,  that  you  offend  not  in  this  new 
world  this  new  King  whose  herald  is  the  man  you  are 
besought  to  hang! 

SLOUGHTER 

But,  Madam,  I  am  assured  that  even  the  common 
people  are  not  all  with  Capt.  Leisler. 


170  JACOB  LEISLER 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 


They  lie  who  give  you  such  assurance.  Did  you  not 
have  a  petition  for  his  reprieve,  signed  by  eighteen 
hundred  of  them?  And  your  answer  was  to  send  poor 
Dominie  Daille,  who  presented  it,  to  prison! 


SLOUGHTER 

Ah,  Madam,  Madam,  where  shall  I  find  a  way  to 
show  you  how  much  I  wish  you  had  been  fated  to 
help  me  govern  this  Province? 

[Ingoldsby  returns  with  Leisler  and  a  guard  of 
red-coats.    Leisler  is  haggard  and  ill-dressed. 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Indicating  Leisler. 
You  may  find  it — here! 


INGOLDSBY 

Capt.  Leisler,  Sir. 

[Going  toward  the  inner  rooms. 
I  will  await  your  Excellency's  pleasure  within. 


JACOB  LEISLER  171 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 


[Divining  Ingoldsby's  intent  to  warn  Bayard, 
and  starting  toward  the  outer  hall. 
I    beseech   your   Excellency,   commission    Major   In- 
goldsby  to  escort  me  home. 


SLOUGHTER 


[As  Ingoldsby  hesitates. 
Go,  Major!    I  would  the  chance  were  mine. 

INGOLDSBY 

[Going  with  Miss  Livingston  very  reluctantly. 
With  pleasure,  Madam! 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

So  good  of  you:  Captain  Leisler,  you  have  one  last 
chance  for  your  life.  Here  stands  the  man  who  stands 
for  your  King.  Make  him  realize  his  responsibility! 
Good  speed — and  good  night!  Your  Excellency — re- 
member! 

[Miss  Livingston  carries  off  the  crestfallen  In- 
goldsby. 

SLOUGHTER 

So,  Capt.  Leisler,  we  meet  again! 


172  JACOB  LEISLER 


LEISLER 

[Low. 
I  humbly  thank  your  Excellency  for  this  privilege. 


SLOUGHTER 

I  have  been  persuaded  to  give  you  a  hearing,  but  it 
must  be  brief.  You  have  been  tried  and  found  guilty 
of  murder  and  high  treason,  and  I  warn  you  that  my 
mind  is  made  up  to  execute  the  sentence  of  the  Court. 
You  know  what  that  sentence  is. 


LEISLER 

I  think  so,  your  Excellency. 

[Slowly,  recalling  the  words. 

I  am  to  be  hanged  up  by  the  neck — and  then — while  I 
am  still  alive — I  am  to  be  cut  down  and  cut  open — 
and  my  bowels  taken  out  and  burnt  before  my  face — 
and  then  my  head  cut  off — and  my  body  cut  into  four 
pieces — and  these  pieces  scattered  as  their  Majesties 
shall  direct! 

SLOUGHTER 

Yes,  yes,  but,  of  course,  you  understand  that  the  refer- 
ence to  their  Majesties  is  purely  formal. 


JACOB  LEISLER  173 


LEISLER 

Their  Majesties  can  hardly  send  my  members  where 
they  have  not  been  already  in  their  Majesties'  service. 

SLOUGHTER 

Moreover,  I  am  disposed  to  treat  you  better  than  you 
deserve.  I  am  willing  to  remit  this  sentence — all  of  it 
— except  only  the  hanging  and  beheading. 

LEISLER 

Your  Excellency  is  very  good  to  me. 

SLOUGHTER 

I  am  a  merciful  man,  Capt.  Leisler.  And  now  that 
we  have  settled  these  unpleasant  details,  will  you  join 
me  in  a  glass  of  punch — you  look  exhausted? 

LEISLER 

I  thank  your  Excellency — I  have  sold  wine  but  never 
used  it. 

SLOUGHTER 

[H el pin g  himself. 
'Come,  come,  good  wine  is  a  good  familiar  creature.' 


174  JACOB  LEISLER 


LEISLER 


Wine  is  good  for  the  heart,  but  not  for  the  head- 
good  for  those  who  listen,  not  for  those  who  speak- 
and  I  wish  to  speak  and  you  to  listen. 


SLOUGHTER 


Oho,  so  you  are  ready  to  speak  now — why  did  you 
refuse  to  speak  in  court? 


LEISLER 

[Very  quietly. 

Because  that  court  had  no  authority  to  hear  me,  and  if 
I  had  pleaded,  the  King  would  accuse  me  for  giving 
away  my  right.  I  could  not  complain  of  an  act  of 
my  own,  for  by  pleading  I  would  have  empowered  the 
jury  to  make  them  judges  of  the  fact.  How  can 
twelve  men  of  one  county  judge  the  government  of 
the  whole  Province?  But  I  speak  now  to  their  Maj- 
esties' representative. 

SLOUGHTER 

As  their  Majesties'  representative  I  appointed  the 
court  to  try  you. 


JACOB  LEISLER  175 


LEISLER 

[Exploding. 

You  had  no  right  to!  King  William  confirmed  my 
claim  to  govern  this  Province — King  William  alone 
has  the  right  to  judge  how  I  have  done  it.  I  appealed 
my  case  to  him,  and  your  commission  commands  you 
to  grant  all  such  appeals.  It  empowers  you  to  govern, 
not  to  judge  how  I  have  governed.  You  let  yourself 
be  deceived  and  misled  by  my  enemies  in  your  Council 
into  denying  my  right  to  the  King's  letter,  freely  given 
me  by  the  King's  own  messenger.  You  let  those 
enemies  deceive  and  mislead  you  into  appointing  a  court 
made  up  by  them  to  try  me  for  crimes  they  themselves 
committed.  And  this  court  finds  me  guilty  of  murder 
for  life  lost  in  Major  Ingoldsby's  lawless  attack  upon 
King  William's  Fort,  held  by  King  William's  lawful 
Governor,  and  of  treason  for  resisting  this  attack  two 
days  before  you  had  landed  and  taken  the  oath  as  Gov- 
ernor. Major  Ingoldsby's  commission  gave  him  no 
authority  to  govern  the  Province.  Until  you  landed 
he  was  subject  to  my  orders,  not  I  to  his.  If  murder 
was  committed,  Major  Ingoldsby  and  those  who  set 
him  on  are  the  murderers;  if  there  has  been  treason  to 
their  Majesties,  he  and  his  accomplices  are  guilty  of  it 
— and  yet  you  appoint  Major  Ingoldsby  one  of  my 
judges,  and  let  Bayard,  Van  Cortlandt  and  Philipse 


176  JACOB  LEISLER 

decide  whether  I  had  right  to  the  King's  letter  which 
they  pretended  to  themselves!  How  will  your  Excel- 
lency answer  it  to  their  Majesties  and  to  God  for  lend- 
ing yourself  to  this  infamous  conspiracy? 

[Slaughter's  arrogant  assurance  is  beaten  down, 
under  Leisler's  torrential  arraignment,  to  suc- 
cessive uneasiness,  alarm,  and  panic-surrender. 

SLOUGHTER 

But,  alas,  my  dear  Capt.  Leisler,  the  matter  has  gone 
too  far!  My  Councillors  look  to  me  as  head  of 
the  Government.  How  shall  I  answer  their  expecta- 
tions unless  I  carry  out  the  decree  of  this  Court? 

LEISLER 

By  showing  them  you  are  the  head  of  the  Government 
— not  their  catspaw! 

SLOUGHTER 

They  shall  see  I  am  no  man's  catspaw.  But  they  as- 
sure me  your  execution  is  necessary  to  pacify  the  red 
savages. 

LEISLER 

No,  not  the  red  savages,  but  the  white  savages,  are  to 
be  pacified  by  my  blood ! 


JACOB  LEISLER  177 


SLOUGHTER 

This  is  a  most  painful  predicament  for  a  merciful  man. 
Where  shall  I  turn  for  wise  and  disinterested  counsel? 

[His  eye  falls  upon   the  punch  bowl  and  he 

again  imbibes. 

LEISLER 

To  the  King,  whose  commission  you  have  sworn  to 
obey;  to  the  King,  who  will  commend  that  you  show 
the  mercy  he  has  shown  his  enemies;  to  the  King, 
who  will  not  forgive  that  you  usurp  his  authority! 
Send  me  to  the  King  for  trial — let  me  meet  my  enemies 
before  the  throne !  I  have  risked  my  life  too  often  for 
him  to  fear  that  he  will  take  it  now. 


SLOUGHTER 

Capt.  Leisler,  I  will  send  you  to  the  King!     Not  a 
hair  of  your  head  shall  be  touched ! 

[  Takes  Leisler' s  hand. 
I  am  a  merciful  man. 

LEISLER 

And  my  son  Milborne,  and  the  others  my  Councillors 
condemned  with  me? 


178  JACOB  LEISLER 


SLOUGHTER 

Yes,  yes,  all  of  you — I  wash  my  hands  of  the  whole 
matter — not  a  hair  of  your  heads  shall  be  touched — 
and  if  my  Councillors  don't  like  it  they  can  go  to  Lon- 
don, too — I  shall  be  well  rid  of  the  whole  lot  of  you. 
[Inffoldsby  comes  back  in  haste. 


LEISLER 

I  thank  your  Excellency  sehr  herzlich — for  myself  and 
all  the  others. 

SLOUGHTER 

[Catching  sight  of  Ingoldsby,  who  is  trying  to 
reach  Bayard  unobserved. 

Major  Ingoldsby,  make  out  a  reprieve  for  Capt.  Leisler 
and  all  the  others  condemned  by  your  court  and  bring 
it  to  me  here — at  once! 


INGOLDSBY 

But,  your  Excellency 

SLOUGHTER 
[Roaring. 
Do  as  I  tell  you — do  you  hear  ? 


JACOB  LEISLER  179 


INGOLDSBY 

Yes,  your  Excellency. 

[He  darts  out  left. 


SLOUGHTER 

Now  I  shall  have  the  whole  pack  of  them  down  upon 
me!  I  heartily  wish  his  Majesty  had  left  you  in  com- 
mand of  this  turbulent  country — but  I  don't  see  how 
you  managed  it — without  wine. 

[He  again  resorts  to  the  punch  bowl. 


LEISLER 

Does  your  Excellency  wish  that  I  go  away  now? 

SLOUGHTER 

No,  stay  here — I  shall  need  you. 

[Bayard,  Philipse,  Van  Cortlandt,  Nicolls,  Liv- 
'ingston  and  Ingoldsby  rush  in.  All  are  in 
gala  attire  and  manifestly  excited.  Bayard 
carries  a  document  in  his  hand. 

BAYARD 

We  find  your  Excellency  in  strange  company. 


180  JACOB  LEISLER 


SLOUGHTER 


\Willing  to  be  offended. 

If  Col.  Bayard  does  not  like  his  Governor's  guests,  I 
will  relieve  him  by  receiving  them  elsewhere. 

BAYARD 

My  poor  house  is  honored  by  any  use  your  ^Excellency 
may  be  pleased  to  make  of  it. 

SLOUGHTER 

Capt.  Leisler  has  convinced  me  that  he  did  not  have  a 
fair  trial,  and  I  have  promised  him  to  refer  the  whole 
matter  to  his  Majesty. 
[Sensation. 

NICOLLS 

Can  your  Excellency  call  a  trial  unfair  for  which  you 
yourself  appointed  the  judges? 

BAYARD 

Your  Excellency  goes  soon  to  Albany  to  meet  the  Mo- 
hawks, already  in  treaty  with  Canada  because  of  this 
man's  misrule.  How  will  you  justify  to  them  such 
mistaken  clemency,  or  how  placate  his  Majesty  if  they 
make  you  lose  the  Province  to  the  French? 


JACOB  LEISLER  181 

SLOUGHTER 

It  is  not  the  red  savages,  but  the  white  savages,  who 
are  trying  to  make  a  catspaw  of  me. 
[Puts  Leisler  forward. 

LEISLER 

Who  called  a  congress  of  the  Colonies  and  raised  an 
army  to  fight  the  French?  Who  fortified  New  York 
and  swept  the  French  vessels  from  this  coast?  Did 
you,  Col.  Bayard,  or  you,  Mr.  Nicolls,  or  you,  Herr 
Van  Cortlandt — skulking  upholders,  every  one  of  you, 
of  King  James,  the  friend  of  Louis  XIV?  Who  must 
answer  to  God  and  the  King  for  the  bloody  massacre 
at  Schenectady — I,  who  tried  to  defend  it,  or  King 
James's  men  at  Albany  who  stayed  my  hand?  So  far 
from  demanding  my  death,  the  Mohawks  know  that  I 
alone  have  saved  them  from  the  French! 

BAYARD 

Bah,  a  likely  story! 

INGOLDSBY 

If  your  Excellency  will  permit,  my  experience  with  this 
turbulent  people  convinces  me  that  the  prevention  of 
future  riots  and  insurrections  requires  the  present  pun- 
ishment of  those  who  caused  the  late  outbreak. 


1 82  JACOB  LEISLER 

LEISLER 

So?    Then  you,  Major  Ingoldsby,  and  not  I,  would 
dangle  from  the  rope's  end. 

SLOUGHTER 

He  has  you  there,  Major! 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

[Low  to  Bayard. 
We  must  get  him  away  from  Leisler. 

BAYARD 

[Nods  assent  and  pours  a  glass  of  punch. 
Argument  is  dry  work,  gentlemen.    Will  your  Excel- 
lency join  us  in  a  glass  of  punch? 

SLOUGHTER 

No,  thank  you,  I've  had  quite  enough. 

BAYARD 

May  we  have  the  pleasure  of  your  company,  Capt. 
Leisler? 


JACOB  LEISLER  183 

[Leister  makes  a  gesture  of  contemptuous  re- 
fusal. 
Well,  gentlemen,  I  trust  we  are  not  all  Puritans? 

[  The  others ,  sensing  Bayard's  plan,  crowd 
about  the  table  with  zest  and  are  served  with 
punch  by  him. 


INGOLDSBY 

No,  damme!     If  I  am  to  be  hanged,  I  will  enjoy  life 
while  it  lasts. 

[Councillors  laugh  with  convivial  abandon. 

LEISLER 

[Low   to  Sloughter. 
They  mean  to  trap  your  Excellency. 

SLOUGHTER 

I'll  not  be  their  catspaw. 

BAYARD 

[Rapping  on  the  table. 

Gentlemen,  raise  your  glasses!     I  am  going  to  pro- 
pose a  toast  we  all  can  drink.     Here's  long  life  and  a 


184  JACOB  LEISLER 

glorious  reign  to  their  gracious  Majesties,  King  Wil- 
liam and  Queen  Mary! 

COUNCIL 

To  King  William  and  Queen  Mary! 

BAYARD 

[Offering  a  glass  to  Slaughter. 

Surely  your  Excellency  cannot  refuse  to  honor  that 
toast  ? 

SLOUGHTER 

[Low  to  Leisler,  who  seeks  to  detain  him. 
Egad,  I  must — willy-nilly. 

[He  goes  unsteadily  to  Bayard  and  takes  the 
glass. 
Just  this  one  cup,  then,  gentlemen — to  their  Majesties! 

COUNCIL 

[In  triumphant  ensemble  shout. 
To  their  Majesties! 

[They  gather  about  Slaughter  and  drink  the 
toast  with  him. 

NICOLLS 

[Holding  out  his  glass  to  Bayard  to  be  refilled. 
Now,  gentlemen,  one  more,  with  me!    Here's  to  Gov- 


JACOB  LEISLER  185 

ernor  Sloughter,  the  Hercules  sent  to  clean  the  Augean 
stables  of  the  Western  World!  May  no  womanish 
qualms  arrest  a  hero's  hand! 

SLOUGHTER 

[Seeking  to  retreat,   but  prevented,  and  now 
rapidly  becoming   maudlin. 

Fie,  fie,  Mist'  Nicolls,  you  do  me  too  much  honor! 
Beshides,  your  tashk  is  not  to  my  liking.  If  I  mush 
be  Hercules,  I  will  rather  seek  the  golden  apples  of 
the  Heshperides. 

[Laughter  and  applause. 

PHILIPSE 

[Low. 

The  golden  apples  are  within  your  grasp — once  the 
sterner  task  is  done. 

COUNCIL 

[As   Bayard   fills   their   glasses,   after   serving 
Sloughter. 
The  toast,  the  toast !    Your  Excellency,  the  toast ! 

SLOUGHTER 

Zounds,  gen'men,  my  head  is  whirling  round  an'  round 
with  your  toasts,  an'  my  poor  legs  simply  'fuse  to  carry 
any  more  toasts. 


1 86  JACOB  LEISLER 

VAN   CORTLANDT 

A  chair  for  his  Excellency! 

[Bayard  deftly  places  a  chair  beside  the  table, 
and  Van  Cortlandt  gently  forces  Slaughter 
into  it. 

NICOLLS 

Now,  then — to  his  Excellency ! 


COUNCIL 

To  his  Excellency! 

[All  drink  except  Slaughter,  who  sets  his  glass 
upon  the  table. 

BAYARD 

[Placing  the  glass  again  in  Slaughter's  hand. 
Nay,  nay,  your  Excellency  must  keep  us  company ! 


SLOUGHTER 

Thasso,  I  cry  you  mercy,  gen'men! 

[Drinks. 

Mus'  'cep'  my  gra'ful  thanks,  gen'men,  till  I  can  show 
you  in  more  s'tantial  way  how  mush  I  am  toushed  by 
your  noble  loyalty. 


JACOB  LEISLER  187 


BAYARD 


[Placinff  the  document  on  the  table. 
Your  Excellency's  signature  to  this  document  will  do 
just  that — and  make  you  the  most  popular  Governor 
ever  sent  to  rule  New  York. 


SLOUGHTER 

[Trying  to  scan  the  paper  magisterially. 
Wha's  this,  wha's  this,  Colonel  Bayard? 

BAYARD 

A  warrant  for  the  execution  of  the  condemned  traitors, 

Leisler  and  Milborne! 

[During  the  toast  scene  Leisler  has  remained 
with  folded  arms  and  stern  self-control.  He 
now  takes  a  step  toward  Sloughter,  and  cries 
out  in  warning  and  appeal: 

LEISLER 

Remember  your  promise:     'Not  a  hair  of  our  heads 
shall  be  touched!' 

SLOUGHTER 

[Pushing  the  document  aside. 

Thasso,  gen'men,  thasso — given    my    promish — not    a 
hair  of  their  heads. 


1  88  JACOB  LEISLER 


LIVINGSTON 


But  you  gave  me  your  promise  —  not  an  hour  ago  — 
you  would  sign  this  warrant. 


SLOUGHTER 


Tha's  ri',  Mist'  Livingston,  tha's  rP,  but  tha's  catch- 
paw  promish,  an'  I'm  mushiful  man. 


BAYARD 


Then,  I  pray  you,  have  mercy  on  the  best  people  of 
this  Province,  who  for  two  years  have  suffered  insult, 
tyranny  and  imprisonment  at  the  hands  of  this  usurper  ! 
Is  it  not  so,  gentlemen? 

COUNCIL 

Aye,  aye! 

[  They  crowd  about  Sloughter. 

NICOLLS 

The  Court  has  decreed  his  death. 

PHILIPSE 
The  Council  has  approved  it. 


JACOB  LEISLER  189 

LIVINGSTON 

The  Assembly  confirms  it. 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

Dominie  Selyns  and  the  other  ministers  cry  out  to  God 
from  their  pulpits  against  Leisler's  tyranny,  and  de- 
mand that  you  make  an  example  of  him. 

BAYARD 

Tender-hearted  ladies,  who  have  tears  for  highway- 
men and  housebreakers,  breathe  only  vengeance  toward 
this  man. 

INGOLDSBY 

God's  blood,  Governor,  it's  only  his  own  kind,  the 
rabble,  that  upholds  this  villain! 

LEISLER 

'The  rabble,  the  rabble,  the  rabble!'  And  has  'the 
rabble'  no  rights?  Who  upheld  King  Henry  at  Agin- 
court,  Queen  Elizabeth  against  the  Spanish  Armada, 
and  our  own  William  at  Boyne  Water  ?  The  rabble ! 
Who  settled  this  Western  wilderness  and  bared  their 
breasts  to  the  arrow  and  the  bullet  to  defend  it?  The 
rabble !  Was  it  the  'best  people  of  this  Province,'  with 
their  commissions  and  their  land  grants  from  King 


190  JACOB  LEISLER 

James,  with  their  'tender-hearted  ladies'  and  their 
truckling  pulpit  echoes,  who  hailed  the  coming  of  Wil- 
liam with  joy  and  made  me  hasten  to  proclaim  him 
King?  No,  it  was  the  rabble!  Ach,  you  Jacobites  and 
popishly-affected  aristocrats,  this  is  your  hour!  You 
can  spurn  the  petitions  of  the  rabble,  and  you  can  hang 
me,  but,  so  sure  as  God  reigns,  the  day  is  coming  when 
the  people  you  now  despise  will  require  my  blood  at 
your  hands !  For  they  are  the  people  who  are  to  rule 
this  country! 

[The  Councillors  exchange  glances  of  delight, 
but  groan  in  pretended  protest. 

BAYARD 

Your  Excellency  can  now  see  with  what  strange  doc- 
trines this  man  has  debauched  and  poisoned  the  people. 

SLOUGHTER 

'Plorable,  'plorable!  I'm  mushiful  man,  but  mush 
punish  those  who  debauch  and  poishon  people. 

LEISLER 

[Pointing  to  the  punch  bowl. 

Then,  Sir,  let  your  first  vengeance  fall  upon  those 
who  have  debauched  and  poisoned  you! 


JACOB  LEISLER  191 


COUNCIL 

[In  pumped-up  indignation. 
Ah-h-h-h-h-h! 

SLOUGHTER 

[Pulling  the  warrant  toward  him. 
Cap'n  Leisler,  are  you  'ware  you  are  'dressing  Gov- 
ernor of  thish  Provinch? 


[Low  to  Bayard. 
Bring  pen  and  ink — quick! 

[Bayard  goes  on  this  errand. 

LEISLER 

No,  not  the  Governor,  but  the  drunken  catspaw  of 
these  conspirators! 

SLOUGHTER 

[Holding  up  two  fingers. 
Now,  look  here,  Cap'n  Leisler — it's  thish  way! 

[Pointing  to  one  finger. 

If  Governor  of  thish  Provinch  ish  mushiful  man  an' 
gives  you  hish  promish, 

[Pointing  to  the  other  finger. 


192  JACOB  LEISLER 

why  shou'n  he  be  mushiful  to  Henry  Sloughter,  too, 
and  give  him  glash  punch? 

PHILIPSE 

[In  Slaughter's  ear. 

And  why  shouldn't  he  remember  that  the  day  these 
villains  are  hanged  Henry  Sloughter  and  his  lady  will 
own  the  stateliest  mansion  in  New  York? 

SLOUGHTER 
[Rousing. 
Eh?    Wha's  tha'? 

[Philipse  whispers,  and  Sloughter  nods  compre- 
hension. Bayard  returns  with  a  quill-pen  and 
ink. 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

[Dips  the  pen  in  the  ink  and  puts  it  in  Slaugh- 
ter's hand. 
Sign  there,  your  Excellency! 

BAYARD 

[Low  to  Sloughter. 

Lady  Sloughter  bids  me  to  tell  you  that  if  you  love  her 
you  will  sign  this  warrant. 

[He  goes  to  the  window,  and  opens  it,  ready 
to  run  out  the  flag. 


JACOB  LEISLER  193 


SLOUGHTER 


[To  Lelsler,  resentfully. 
Go'n'  keep  my  promish — no  man's  catchpaw! 


INGOLDSBY 


[To  Lelsler ;  as  he  tries  to  approach  Slaughter. 
Back,  Sir! 

[He  signals  guards,  who  drag  Leisler  back. 


LEISLER 

i 

So  ?    Did  you  keep  the  promises  you  made  me  when  I 
surrendered  the  Fort  to  you? 


COUNCIL 

[All  point  to  document. 
Sign  there! 

[Van  Cortlandt  holds  a  candle  so  that  Slaugh- 
ter can  see  to  write. 


SLOUGHTER 

[In  delirium. 
Go'n'  keep  my  catchpaw — no  man's  promish! 


194  JACOB  LEISLER 


COUNCIL 

[In  relentless  iteration. 
Sign  there! 

[Slaughter  signs  the  warrant  and  tumbles  from 
his  chair  to  the  floor  in  unaided  stupor.  Leis- 
ler  towers  above  him  in  measureless  contempt. 
Bayard  runs  out  the  flag,  and  the  Councillors 
raise  a  wild  shout  of  triumph.  The  scene  is 
suddenly  darkened,  change  to  the  next  being 
made  to  the  accompaniment  of  weird  and 
whirling  music. 

*  #  #  #  # 

The  living-room  of  Leisler's  farmhouse  (which  stood 
on  the  site  of  the  present  Sun  Building,  City  Hall 
Park),  before  daylight,  May  16,  1691.  It  is  a  low- 
studded,  plainly-furnished  apartment,  somber  in  effect, 
a  door  at  the  left  leading  to  other  rooms  and  another 
at  the  back  giving  without,  the  latter  divided  in  the 
middle  and  flanked  by  wide  low  windows  on  either 
side.  There  is  also  a  window  at  the  right.  Near  you, 
on  the  right,  is  a  large  wing  chair  beside  a  small  table, 
and  on  the  left  is  a  child's  cradle.  In  one  corner  is 
the  spare  four-poster  with  high-piled  feather-bed  and 
gay  tester  and  valance.  There  are  bed-steps  beside  it. 


JACOB  LEISLER  195 

While  it  is  yet  dark,  and  before  the  music  dies  away, 
sounds  of  a  storm  are  heard,  the  rumble  of  thunder 
and  dashes  of  rain  against  the  windows.  Then,  out  of 
the  gloom,  comes  the  voice  of  Frau  Leisler:  'Ah,  God, 
ah,  dear  God,  is  there  no  helpf  A  faint  beam  of 
ghastly  light  breaks  through  the  window  at  the  right, 
disclosing  Frau  Leisler  seated  in  the  wing  chair,  and 
Miss  Livingston  at  her  side,  seeking  to  comfort  her. 
Both  wear  wraps,  having  just  arrived.  Francina  is 
asleep  in  the  cradle. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Dear  Frau  Leisler,  you  must  be  strong — for  your  hus- 
band's sake. 

FRAU  LEISLER 

[Rocking  to  and  fro. 
Ah,  Jacob,  Jacob,  my  Jacob! 

[Mary  comes  from  the  left,  carrying  lighted 
candles,  which  she  places  on  the  table.  She 
also  wears  a  wrap  and  hood. 

MARY 

You  will  have  more  comfort  with  your  wraps  off, 
mother. 

[Miss  Livingston  removes  Frau  Leisler's 
wraps. 


196  JACOB  LEISLER 

FRAU  LEISLER 

'Comfort !  Comfort  !'  No  comfort  more  in  this  wo-ld 
for  me! 

MARY 

Mother,  mother,  we  must  not  waken  Francina! 
[She  goes  to  the  cradle. 

FRAU  LEISLER 

'Francina,  Francina!'  Ah,  Jacob,  he  don't  care  for 
anybody  but  Francina. 

[Showing  her  wedding  ring. 

There  was  a  time — when  he  put  this  ring  on  my  fin- 
ger— worn  so  thin  and  small  now — when  he  loved  me, 
my  Jacob. 

MARY 

Mother!    He  loves  us  all — but  Francina  is  his  baby! 
[A  bell  begins  to  toll. 

FRAU  LEISLER 

Why  is  that  bell? 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

The  procession  is  on  its  way  from  the  Fort. 


JACOB  LEISLER  197 

FRAU  LEISLER 

They  are  going  to  hang  my  Jacob — I  shall  never  more 
see  him  alive. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

You  shall !    You  shall !    I  have  Col.  Bayard's  promise. 
That  is  why  we  are  here. 
[The  bell  tolls. 

FRAU  LEISLER 

Bloody  and  cruel  villains,  to  hang  my  Jacob  on  his 
own  land — beside  his  own  farmhouse! 

MARY 

Peace,  mother,  peace !    My  heart  is  breaking,  too. 


FRAU  LEISLER 

And  they  build  their  scaffold — some  one  told  me — 
from  the  timbers  my  Jacob  put  on  the  Fort  to  turn 
away  the  French! 

MARY 

What  does  it  matter? 


198  JACOB  LEISLER 

FRAU  LEISLER 

But  they  had  to  send  out  of  town  for  a  ladder — no 
city  carpenter  would  lend  them  one. 

[Bell. 

Ah,  that  awful  bell!  Where  is  Cobus?  Why  is  he 
not  here  to  be  with  me? 

MARY 

[Low. 
Shall  I  tell  her? 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Yes,  it  can  do  no  harm. 

MARY 

Mother,  Cobus  had  a  letter  from  Captain  Blagge,  say- 
ing it  is  reported  in  London  that  the  King  hath  sent 
his  reprieve  for  all  condemned  in  the  trials,  and  he 
has  gone  to  Yonkers  to  try  to  have  Governor  Sloughter 
stop  the  execution. 

FRAU  LEISLER 

God  be  thanked !    My  Cobus  will  save  him. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

We  hope  so,  but  the  Governor  has  been  spirited  away 
by  your  husband's  enemies,  and  it  wyill  be  difficult  to 
reach  him— even  if  he  is  in  a  state  to  act. 


JACOB  LEISLER  199 

[The  bell  tolls  again,  and  the  low  rattle  of  a 
drum  is  heard,  growing  louder,  and  augmented 
by  cries  of  the  crowd,  groans  mingled  with 
execrations. 

FRAU  LEISLER 

He  is  coming!     My  Jacob  is  coming! 

[She  springs  from  her  chair  and  rushes  to  the 
window  at  the  right.  Miss  Livingston  and 
Mary  remove  their  wraps  and  support  her. 
Men  and  women  spectators  appear  at  the  rear 
door  and  windows,  which  they  throw  open, 
and  from  which  they  eagerly  watch  the  subse- 
quent proceedings.  The  tumult  without  in- 
creases, and  then  suddenly  stops  as  the  rear 
door  admits  Col.  Bayard,  Pere  Millet  and 
Leisler,  the  last-named  bound,  guarded  by  a 
file  of  soldiers,  and  supported  by  Pere  Millet. 

BAYARD 

Unbind  him! 

[The  soldiers  unbind  Leisler. 

FRAU  LEISLER 

[Throwing  herself  into  his  arms. 
Jacob,  my  Jacob — they  are  going  to  hang  my  Jacob! 


JACOB  LEISLER 


LEISLER 

Ya,  Elsie,  the  King  I  have  worked  for,  and  paid  for, 
and  fought  for,  is  going  to  give  me  my  reward. 

FRAU  LEISLER 

Where  is  Jacob  Milborne? 

LEISLER 

Jacob  will  have  none  of  our  farewells.  He  awaits  me 
at  the  scaffold. 

FRAU  LEISLER 

[Beating  upon  his  breast. 

No,  Jacob,  no  !  Listen  to  me  !  There  is  a  hope  !  The 
King  has  sent  his  reprieve  —  Cobus  has  gone  to  see  the 
Governor. 

BAYARD 

[Whirling  savagely. 
Where  got  you  such  lying  report,  Madam? 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

It  comes  from  Captain  Blagge  in  London,  Col.  Bayard. 


JACOB  LEISLER  201 

BAYARD 

[  Violently. 

It  is  false,  false,  I  tell  you!  The  King  has  sent  no 
reprieve,  and  you  but  delude  these  poor  people  to 
say  so. 

PERE  MILLET 

I  you  beg,  Monsieur,  in  name  of  that  One  who  die 
so  men  do  live,  that  you  arrest  this  execution  cruel 
until  what  time  we  know  the  verity  of  this  report. 

BAYARD 

[Regaining  control  of  himself. 

Useless,  father — it  would  but  prolong  a  painful  scene. 
If  Governor  Sloughter  had  received  such  reprieve,  who 
would  know  it  sooner  than  I? 

MARY 

But  will  you  not  wait  until  my  brother  has  seen  the 
Governor  ? 

BAYARD 

No,  Madam !    You  must  make  your  farewells  at  once. 

Your  brother  will  not  see  the  Governor 

[Correcting  himself. 

That  is,  the  Governor  has  no  excuse  to  interfere,  since 
the  King  has  not  interfered. 


2O2  JACOB  LEISLER 

FRAU  LEISLER 

I  hate  him,  that  cruel  King! 

LEISLER 

I 

Nein,  Elsie,  nein — not  cruel,  but  very  far  away,  and 
too  much  occupied  with  great  affairs  to  take  care  for 
this  poor  Province  of  New  York.  But  maybe,  now 
that  my  work  for  him  is  done,  he  will  remember  my 
name. 

PERE  MILLET 

Si,  si,  mon  ami,  and  the  day  will  come  when  the  people 
of  New  York  will  remember  it,  too. 

FRAU  LEISLER 

Jacob,  don't  say  your  work  is  done!  Cobus  will  save 
you  yet. 

LEISLER 

I  have  made  my  peace  with  God  and  have  no  hope 
from  man.  But  there  is  a  work  for  Cobus.  [Giving 
her  medal  taken  from  his  neck}  Give  him  this  medal! 
It  bears  the  head  of  that  great  friend  of  liberty,  Lord 
Shaftesbury,  and  on  it  I  have  cut  some  words:  [Read- 
ing} 'Remember  well  and  baer  in  mynd  a  faethful 


REMEMBER  WELL  AND  BAER  IN  MVND 
A  FAETHFUL  FRIND  IS  HARD  TO  FEIND. 


(The  above  is  the  legend  cut  on  the  rim  of  the 
medal  by  Leisler  himself  --whilst   in  prison.  ) 


JACOB  LEISLER  203 

frind  is  hard  to  feind.'  Tell  Cobus  he  shall  never 
rest  more  in  this  world  until  King  William  knows  I 
have  been  that  faithful  friend  to  him! 

FRAU  LEISLER 

Jacob,  you  are  so  cold,  and  wet  to  the  skin. 

LEISLER 

Ah,  that  is  nothing. 

FRAU  LEISLER 

May  God's  curse  fall  upon  those  who  bring  you  to 
this! 

LEISLER 

Say  not  so,  Elsie !  I  wish  in  the  grave  I  am  so  soon  to 
fill  may  be  buried  also  the  hatreds  and  jealousies  I  have 
caused.  My  enemies  have  brought  my  body  to  shame, 
but  I  hope  they  will  not  despise  my  family  for  that. 
I  ask  their  forgiveness  for  the  mistakes  I  have  made 
through  rashness,  haste  and  anger,  and,  it  may  be,  be- 
cause I  did  not  know  what  was  in  their  hearts. 

[To  Miss  Livingston. 
Tell  your  brother  that  for  me! 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

I  pray  you,  Sir,  count  me  not  among  your  enemies! 
I  am  a  Jacobite — ten  thousand  times  a  Jacobite,  when 


204  JACOB  LEISLER 

I  see  how  your  King  deserts  those  who  have  served  him 
so  faithfully. 

LEISLER 

[Going  to  Miss  Livingston  and  taking  both 
her  hands. 

Ah,  Madam,  my  King  does  not  know,  and  when  he 
knows  it  will  be  too  late.  But  I  wish  you  to  know 
that  old  Jacob  Leisler  thanks  you  from  the  bottom  of 
his  heart  for  all  your  kindness  to  him  and  to  those  he 
loves.  [Low]  Cobus  has  told  me — I  am  glad.  [Miss 
Livingston  turns  away  to  hide  her  emotion. 

[The  bell  tolls. 

BAYARD 

You  must  hasten  your  leave-taking — we  have  business 
elsewhere. 

MARY 

[To  Miss  Livingston. 
Oh,  will  Cobus  never  come ! 

LEISLER 

[Going  to  Pere  Millet. 

Mon  ami,  you  have  been  my  friend  when  you  were  my 
prisoner,  and  you  have  been  my  comforter  when  I  my- 
self was  prisoner.  Now  I  ask  you  to  stay  here  and 
comfort  those  I  must  leave  behind.  [The  priest 


JACOB  LEISLER  205 

mutely  assents.  Leisler  turns  to  Mary,  who  throws 
herself  sobbing  into  his  arms]  My  little  Mary,  my 
little  Captain  Mary — so  brave  to  help  her  old  vater 
when  he  needed  help — she  is  going  to  be  brave  always 
to  help  her  mutter  and  hand  down  her  vater's  good 
name  to  those  who  come  after  her. 

[Mary  sinks  to  her  knees  before  him,  and  he 
places  his  hands  upon  her  head  in  benediction. 
Then  he  turns  to  Frau  Leisler,  holding  her 
some  moments  in  silent  embrace,  finally  sig- 
nalling Miss  Livingston,  who  gently  reseats 
her  in  the  chair.  Leisler  goes  slowly  to  the 
cradle,  and,  kneeling  beside  it,  takes  the  hand 
of  the  sleeping  child,  and,  kissing  it  fondly, 
looks  long  and  fixedly  into  her  face,  then  sud- 
denly buries  his  face  in  the  coverlet,  sobbing: 
My  baby,  my  baby  Francina ! 

[The  bell  tolls,  and  Bayard  taps  Leisler  on  the 
shoulder. 

BAYARD 

Come,  Sir! 

LEISLER 

[Kissing  the  child  gently  on  the  forehead  and 
rising. 
I  am  ready. 


2o6  JACOB  LEISLER 


BAYARD 

Bind  him! 

[The  soldiers  crowd  roughly  about  Leisler  and 
bind  his  arms  behind  him,  while  the  crowd  at 
the  rear  windows  begins  a  murmur  of  protest, 
which  rises  into  a  tumult. 

BAYARD 

March ! 

LEISLER 

[Turns  commandingly  at  exit,  and  makes  him- 
self heard  above  the  uproar. 
Listen  to  me — everybody! 

[The  uproar  suddenly  ceases. 

I  declare  before  God  and  the  world  that  what  I  have 
done  was  for  King  William  and  Queen  Mary,  for 
the  defence  of  the  Protestant  religion  and  the  good  of 
New  York. 

[Bell.  Pere  Millet  goes  to  Leisler,  and  holds 
up  the  crucifix  before  him  appealingly,  but 
Leisler  slowly  shakes  his  head. 

Non,  non,  non,  mon  ami,  I  am  not  convert  to  the  re- 
ligion you  profess,  but  to  the  religion  you  live! 

PERE  MILLET 

Then  you  will  accept  the  blessing  of  the  man — if  not 
of  the  priest? 


JACOB  LEISLER  207 

[Leisler  bows  his  head,  and  Pere  Millet  ex- 
tends his  hands  in  benediction.  Frau  Leisler 
throws  herself  upon  her  knees.  Darkness  sud- 
denly jails,  and  the  tumult  recommences,  con- 
tinuing until  this  symbolic  tableau  is  seen: 

Frau  Leisler  is  seated  in  the  wing-chair, 
with  Francina  clasped  in  her  left  arm  com- 
forting her,  her  other  hand  holding  out  the 
medal  to  Cobus,  booted  and  spurred  as  from 
riding,  kneeling  on  her  right,  his  hands  ex- 
tended to  take  it.  Miss  Livingston  stands  be- 
side the  chair  just  back  of  him,  and  Pere  Mil- 
let, his  hands  outstretched  in  blessing,  is  on 
the  extreme  left,  a  little  back  of  Cobus.  Mary 
and  Gouverneur  are  together,  on  Frau  Leis- 
ler s  left.  All  look  at  Cobus,  in  sympathy 
with  his  expression  of  exalted  self-consecra- 
tion to  the  charge  laid  upon  him  by  his  father's 
message  and  memento.  The  sombre  lighting 
has  given  place  to  morning  sunlight. 


EPILOGUE 

Shakespeare  says  'a  good  play  needs  no  epilogue' 
but,  as  he  says  so  in  the  epilogue  to  a  good  play,  his 
humblest  disciple,  doubting  not  all  help  is  needed,  ven- 
tures to  detain  the  patient  reader  for  a  last  word  or 
two,  even  though  the  beholder  be  bolted. 

Its  scene  shall  be  the  Dutch  garden  of  the  Van  Cort- 
landt  mansion,  late  in  an  autumn  afternoon  of  1695. 
It  shows  a  corner  of  the  garden  formed  by  the  intersec- 
tion of  the  rear  of  the  house  with  the  garden  wall,  the 
former  extending  obliquely  toward  your  left,  the  latter 
to  the  right.  In  this  wall  is  a  stile  with  steps  crossing 
over  it,  and  leading  from  the  house  is  a  door  with 
stoop.  Nearer  you  on  the  left  is  a  rose-bowered  seat; 
opposite  is  a  fountain,  and  between  them  a  sun-dial. 
In  the  angle  of  the  house  and  wall  is  a  statue  set  in 
a  topiary  niche  of  box.  Much  of  the  space  is  taken  up 
by  flower  beds  in  geometrical  shapes  with  low  borders 
of  trimmed  box  intersected  by  narrow  curving  walks, 
presenting  a  blaze  of  rich  and  harmonious  coloring. 
Over  the  garden  wall  are  seen  the  quaint  gables  of 
little  old  New  York.  Shutting  off  the  view  of  the 
remainder  of  the  garden  at  the  right  are  locust  trees. 

208 


JACOB  LEISLER  209 

Miss  Livingston  is  seated  in  the  rose  bower  with  a 
lute,  singing  to  its  accompaniment,  'When  the  King 
Enjoys  His  Own  Again  : 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

'Though  for  a  time  you  may  see  Whitehall  with  cob- 
webs hanging  over  the  wall, 
Instead  of  silk  and  silver  brave,  as  formerly  it  used 

to  have, 
And  in  every  room  the  sweet  perfume,  delightful  for 

that  princely  train; 

The  which  you  shall  see  when  the  time  it  shall  be 
That  the  King  comes  home  in  peace  again.' 

[Mary  comes  to  the  top  of  the  stile,  pausing 
there  a  moment  to  listen  to  the  song,  then 
steals  down  the  steps  and  around  the  walk  to 
the  bower,  where  she  suddenly  claps  her  hand 
upon  Miss  Livingston's  shoulder,  and,  with 
a  roguish  assumption  of  masculine  voice  and 
military  brusqueness,  exclaims: 


MARY 

Ahem!   Ahem!    Madam,  I  arrest  you  in  the  name  of 
King  William  for  treasonable  utterance. 


2io  JACOB  LEISLER 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

{Embracing  her. 

Child,  indeed  you  did  startle  me.  I  thought  Governor 
Fletcher  had  sent  one  of  his  pirate  crew  to  hale  me  off 
to  a  ship's  hold  in  chains. 

MARY 

Surely  Councillor  Van  Cortlandt's  roof  would  pro- 
tect you? 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Perhaps,  but  Governor  Fletcher  likes  my  plain  speech 
as  little  as  he  doth  that  of  )'our  father's  Councillors, 
whom  he  kept  so  long  in  gaol. 

MARY 

Alackaday,  how  could  a  wise  King  choose  such  a 
scurvy  Governor? 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

'Like  master  like  man!'  With  whom  should  a  pirate 
King's  Governor  associate  if  not  with  pirates? 

MARY 

Think  you  truly,  Madam,  Governor  Fletcher  hath 
commerce  with  such? 


JACOB  LEISLER  211 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Child,  it  is  notorious!  How  else  should  he  keep  the 
goldsmiths  busy  making  him  snuff-boxes?  Why,  but 
yestreen  I  saw  him  out  driving  with  that  high-handed 
sea-robber  Tew,  and  Brother  Van  Cortlandt  tells  me 
he  had  to  meet  this  agreeable  cut-throat  at  his  table, 
and  was  assured  by  his  Excellency  that  Tew  is  'a  most 
companionable  fellow,'  and  that  he  has  it  in  his 
heart  to  convert  him  from  the  error  of  his  ways. 
Faugh! 

MARY 

If  the  King  but  knew! 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Know?  None  knows  better.  'Set  a  rogue  to  catch  a 
rogue!'  My  brother  writes  me  from  London  how  he 
hath  convinced  the  Lords  of  Trade  of  the  vast  sums 
due  him  from  the  Province  which  Fletcher  hath  di- 
verted to  his  own  use,  and  how  he  hath  secured  from 
your  pirate  King  a  commission  for  that  bold  and  honest 
man,  Captain  Kidd,  to  sweep  all  pirates  from  these 
shores. 

MARY 

Fie,  oh,  fie,  I  had  clean  forgot  what  I  came  hot-foot 
to  tell  you!  A  letter  from  Cobus  in  London  saith  he 


212  JACOB  LEISLER 

has  at  last  prevailed  to  clear  our  father's  memory,  and 
that  he  is  taking  the  next  ship  home. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

[Embracing  Mary  anew. 

Child,  child,  this  is  news,  indeed!  Come  and  tell  me 
all  about  it! 

MARY 

I  am  so  happy — it  seems  out  of  credence  after  these 
five  long  years  of  waiting  and  disappointment. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

The  Parliament  hath  reversed  your  father's  attainder? 

MARY 

The  Parliament,  yes — but  it  was  the  King  who  made 
them  do  it.  Oh,  he  is  so  good,  King  William! 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

You  are  the  first  to  make  the  discovery.  But  I  sup- 
pose even  pirates  have  their  moments  of  penitence. 
And  so  your  brother  is  coming  home — does  Master 
Gouverneur  accompany  him? 

MARY 

I  think  so,  Madam. 


JACOB  LEISLER  213 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

I  hope  so,  Mary  Milborne.     I  trow  he  hath  waited 
quite  long  enough. 

[Sound  of  distant  cheering  and  tumult. 
Hark!    Does  that  mean  the  French  are  coming  down 
the  river  to  attack  us — or  that  his  Excellency  is  on 
parade  in  his  new  coach? 

MARY 

Is  it  his  hour? 

[Going  to  the  sun-dial. 

What  saith  the  dial  ?    No,  Madam,  it  is  too  early  for 
the  Governor. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Oh,  well,  then,  it  is  only  the  French,  so  come  and  tell 
me  more  of  your  brother's  news! 

[Joost  Stoll  comes  in  haste  to  the  top  of  the 
stile. 

STOLL 

[Calling. 

Madam  Milborne,  Madam!    There  is  great  news  from 
your  husband,  Madam. 

MARY 

[Startled. 

Why,  Joost  Stoll,  you  know  my  husband  has  been  dead 
these  five  years. 


214  JACOB  LEISLER 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Enter,  Master  Stoll,  and  give  us  your  news! 

[Stoll  pauses  upon  the  stile,  as  if  gravely  delib- 
erating, then  solemnly  and  very  slowly  de- 
scends the  steps  to  the  walk,  where  he  pauses 
anew,  lost  in  thought. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Make  haste,  my  good  man — we  are  waiting  for  your 

message. 

[Stoll  comes  around  the  walk  with  exasperating 
deliberation,  and  the  manner  of  one  overbur- 
dened by  what  he  has  to  say.  Reaching  the 
ladies,  he  makes  them  a  stiff  military  salute, 
then  stands  silently  at  attention. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Well,  Sirrah,  what  is  it? 

MARY 

Good  Joost,  you  spoke  of  Mr.  Milborne? 

STOLL 

When  I  was  in  London 

[Pause. 


JACOB  LEISLER  215 


MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Yes,  yes — go  on! 

MARY 

When  you  were  in  London ? 

STOLL 

When  I  was  in  London — I  saw  the  King — and  the 
King  saw  me. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

But  what  came  of  it? 

MARY 

What  had  that  to  do  with  Mr.  Milborne? 

STOLL 

I  am  coming  to  that.  When  I  was  in  London  the 
King  saw  me,  and  now  comes  news  of  what  the  Prov- 
ince of  New  York  owes  to  Joost  Stoll. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

What  news? 

MARY 

Oh,  Joost,  you  are  so  tedious ! 


216  JACOB  LEISLER 


STOLL 

[Wheels  and  starts  away  in  dudgeon. 
Very  well,  then,  if  you  care  not  to  hear  the  message 
I  was  sent  to  excommunicate 

[They  pursue  and  bring  him  back. 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

Now,  Sirrah — your  message ! 

MARY 

Yes,  Joost,  what  is  it? 

[  There  is  louder  cheering  without. 

STOLL 

Do  you  hear  those  huzzays? 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

What  do  they  mean  ? 

STOLL 

They  mean  that  Joost  Stoll  has  prevailed  at  last, 

and 

[Pauses  anew. 

MISS   LIVINGSTON 

And? 


JACOB  LEISLER  217 

MARY 

Go  on! 

STOLL 

[To  Mary,  with  uncorked  fluency. 
And  that  your  brother,  Madam,  and  [to  Miss  Living- 
ston] your  brother,  too,  Madam,  to  say  nothing  of  Mas- 
ter Abraham  Gouverneur,  have  all  just  arrived  from 
London  in  the  ship  Catharine,  looking  mighty  fine, 
and  bringing  news  that  the  King  and  Parliament  [to 
Mary]  have  restored  your  father  and  husband  every- 
thing— except  their  lives — and  [to  Miss  Livingston] 
that  your  brother,  Madam,  hath  preponderated  Gov- 
ernor Fletcher  and  is  to  have  his  old  office  again. 


MARY 

[Throwing  herself  into  Miss  Livingston's  arms. 
Oh,  I  am  so  happy  I  think  I  must  weep! 


MISS    LIVINGSTON 

Nay,  child,  you  must  not  meet  Master  Gouverneur 
with  your  nose-cloth — he  is  too  vain  already.  [To 
Stoll]  Where  are  these  returners? 


218  JACOB  LEISLER 


STOLL 


Your  brother,  Madam,  is  within  with  Herr  Van  Cort- 
landt,  while  the  others  have  gone  to  seek  [indicating 
Mary]  Madam,  here. 


MISS    LIVINGSTON 

Fie,  Sirrah,  you  should  have  told  us  that  sooner!  Go 
at  once  and  send  Master  Leisler  and  Master  Gouver- 
neur  here! 

[Stoll  salutes  and  marches  rapidly  back  to  the 

stile.     There  is  renewed  cheering  and  clamor 

just  outside. 


MISS    LIVINGSTON 

They  are  coming  now,  I  think.     Stay  you  here  and 
meet  them — I  must  in  and  greet  my  brother. 

[Miss  Livingston  flies  into  the  house.  Behind 
the  garden  wall  comes  a  crowd  of  men  and 
women  with  joyous  exclamations:  'Huzzay 
for  King  William!'  'Huzzay  for  Jacob  Leis- 
ler!'  'A  good  son  to  clear  his  father's  name? 
'A  chip  of  the  old  block,  say  //  etc. 


JACOB  LEISLER  219 


STOLL 

[Beckoning  from  top  of  stile. 

This  way,  Master  Leisler!  This  way,  Master  Gou- 
verneur!  Madame  Milborne  is  here! 

[To  crowd. 

Peace,  good  fellows!  Good  friends,  peace!  I,  En- 
sign Joost  Stoll,  that  Captain-General  Leisler  sent  to 
London,  rejoice  with  you  over  this  great  victory  I  set 
on  foot,  but  you  must  go  away  now  and  let  Master 
Leisler  greet  his  sister.  When  I  was  in  London 

FRAU  STOLL 

[Calling  imperiously  without. 
Joost  Stoll! 

STOLL 

Ja,  ja,  Elishamet! 

FRAU  STOLL 

You  come  home  right  now  and  take  care  of  the  chil- 
dren while  I  'tend  bar! 

STOLL 

Ja,  ja,  Elishamet! 

[Stoll  vanishes,  jeered  by  the  crowd,  which  then 
disperses.     Upon  the  stile  appear  Cobus  and 

I 


220  JACOB  LEISLER 

Gouverneur,  both  very  smart  in  dress.  They 
wave  their  greetings  and  come  to  Mary,  Co- 
bus  embracing  her. 

MARY 
Have  you  seen  mother? 

COBUS 

Yes,  for  a  moment — she  told  me  you  were  here.     Is 
she  not  radiant,  this  little  sister? 

GOUVERNEUR 

I — I — she  seems — that  is — but  I  have  no  right  to  ex- 
press any  opinion  as  to  Madam  Milborne's  appearance. 

MARY 

[Going  to  Gouverneur,  both  hands  extended. 
'Madam  Milborne,'  forsooth!    Abra'm,  I  am  ashamed 
of  you.     If  I  am  radiant  it  is  because  I  am  so  happy 
to  see  you — both. 

COBUS 

You  have  heard  the  great  news? 


Yes,  oh  yes,  and  I  so  want  to  thank  somebody — and 
the  King  isn't  here. 


JACOB  LEISLER  221 

COBUS 

Then  thank  Mr.  Livingston,  who  moved  my  Lord 
Bellomont  to  bring  us  to  the  King. 

MARY 

Mr.  Livingston!    Is  it  possible? 

COBUS 

Mr.  Livingston  is  too  great  a  man,  and  too  dispas- 
sionate, to  let  ancient  feuds  interfere  with  present 
justice. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Or  present  interest! 

COBUS 

Nay,  Abra'm,  let  us  have  done  with  the  quarrels  of 
yesterday,  and  go  on  to  a  glorious  to-morrow!  [To 
Mary]  You  must  thank  Abra'm,  too,  who  hath  fought 
with  me  for  much  more  than  the  reversal  of  his  own 
attainder. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Nay,  Madam,  while  my  life  lasts  it  is  honor  enough 
that  the  King  and  his  Parliament  should  have  linked 
my  name  with  that  of  your  revered  father. 


222  JACOB  LEISLER 

MARY 

Oh,  modest,  modest,  Abra'm!  And  Miss  Livingston, 
who  was  here  but  a  moment  ago,  told  me  you  were  a 
vain  man. 

COBUS 
Miss  Livingston — where  is  she  now? 

MARY 

She  went  within  to  greet  her  brother — you'll  find 
her  there. 

GOUVERNEUR 

Yes,  Cobus — there! 

COBUS 

I  shall  tell  Miss  Livingston  how  modest  you  are — both 
of  you! 

[Cobus  enters  the  house.     Mary  and  Gouver- 

neur  stand  and  look  at  each  other  during  some 

moments  of  embarrassed  silence. 

MARY 

Now  what  do  you  suppose  he  meant  by  that? 

GOUVERNEUR 

I — haven't — the — least — idea. 


JACOB  LEISLER  223 

MARY 

[In  desperation,  after  another  long  pause. 
You  are  much  changed  since  last  we  met,  Abra'm. 
And  I  am  too,  am  I  not? 

GOUVERNEUR 

I  hope  not,  Madam,  with  all  my  soul. 
MARY 

Why? 

GOUVERNEUR 

Because  I  thought — you  said  once,  you  know — that 
you  would  always — I  am  quite  sure  you  said  always — 
and  I  have  so  often  wondered  during  these  long 
years 

MARY 

Yes,  Abra'm? 

GOUVERNEUR 

So  often  wondered 

[Noting  the  sun-dial  and  moving  toward  it. 
What's  o'clock? 

MARY 

[Also  going  to  the  dial. 

The  dial  is  like  you,  Abra'm,  it  takes  no  longer  note 
of  time. 


224  JACOB  LEISLER 

GOUVERNEUR 

If,  indeed,  this  hour  might  last  forever! 

MARY 

I  think  it  must,  in  sooth,  if  it  waits  upon  your  utter- 
ance.   Shall  /  say  it? 

GOUVERNEUR 

Ah,  Mary,  you  broke  my  heart  once — surely  you  will 
not  again? 

MARY 

Abra'm,  my  father  always  loved  you  dearly — but  not 
so  dearly  as  I  have — 'always' 

GOUVERNEUR 

[Taking  her  into  his  arms. 

He  left  you  once  in  my  care,  and  since  then  I  have 
cared  only  to  make  that  trust  perpetual. 

MARY 

I  don't  see  any  grave  reason  why  you  shouldn't. 

[He  kisses  her. 
Now,  tell  me  of  all  the  brave  doings  in  London ! 


JACOB  LEISLER  225 


LIVINGSTON 

\Withln  the  house. 
You  see,  Van  Cortlandt,  it  was  this  way. 

MARY 

Here  comes  a  council  of  State,  but  I  know  a  sweet 
little  nook  at  the  bottom  of  the  garden  where  we  shall 
not  interrupt  it.  This  way,  Abra'm! 

[Mary   dances   off  to   the   right,   followed  by 

Gouverneur.     Van  Cortlandt  and  Livingston 

come  from  the  house. 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

To  tell  you  the  truth,  brother,  these  changes  of  court 
policy  make  us  poor  provincials  a  bit  dizzy.  I  don't 
understand  why  the  King  should  have  lent  ear  to  this 
Leisler  outcry,  and  even  less  why  you  should  have 
encouraged  it. 

LIVINGSTON 

Stephanus,  if  I  have  made  some  advancement  it  has 
been  by  reaching  inevitable  conclusions  a  little  sooner 
than  anybody  else. 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

You  mean? 


226  JACOB  LEISLER 


LIVINGSTON 

[Throwing  himself  into   the  bower  seat  and 
stretching  out  his  legs. 

I  mean  that,  while  the  King  and  I  are  alike  in  not 
allowing  sentiment  to  interfere  with  interest,  I  have 
the  advantage  of  his  Majesty  in  not  delaying  a  wise 
thing  because  it  bears  color  of  generosity.  Besides,  I 
have  some  natural  temper — but  no  asthma. 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

Then  this  act  reversing  the  attainder  was  inevitable? 

LIVINGSTON 

Absolutely!  There  was  much  pressure  from  both 
Massachusetts  and  Holland,  and  Bellomont,  who  has 
the  King's  ear,  had  taken  the  matter  up,  declaring  the 
men  were  'barbarously  murdered.' 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

Why  should  he? 

LIVINGSTON 

Because  he  is  a  hot-headed  democrat  with  a  fancy  to 
rule  these  provinces  himself,  and  Fletcher's  hostility 
to  the  Leisler  party  was  his  cue. 


JACOB  LEISLER  227 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

Oho,  I  see — and  yours,  also! 

LIVINGSTON 

Exactly,  for  if  my  charges  against  Fletcher  helped 
5'oung  Leisler's  case,  his  testimony  manfully  aided  mine. 
Besides,  my  sister  made  point  of  it — she  has  always 
had  a  whim  for  these  Leislers. 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

Think  you  Lord  Bellomont  would  favor  the  Leisler 
adherents  should  he  become  Governor? 

LIVINGSTON 

Assuredly.  He  has  already  pledged  young  Leisler  res- 
titution of  his  estates  and  the  monies  expended  by  his 
father,  as  well  as  a  reburial  in  state  of  the  bodies  of 
his  father  and  brother-in-law. 

» 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

But  you  truly  have  Fletcher  on  the  hip? 

LIVINGSTON 

I  should  not  be  here  else.  The  Lords  of  Trade  order 
him  to  pay  my  claims  against  the  Province  in  full,  and, 


228  JACOB  LEISLER 

besides,  send  me  back  as  Commissioner  Agent  for  the 
Indians  at  a  fat  salary. 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

He  will  fight  that. 

LIVINGSTON 

He  will  have  fighting  enough  to  clear  his  skirts  of 
complicity  with  the  pirates.  My  Lord  Bellomont  is 
minded  to  press  that  charge,  and  hath  joined  with 
me  in  moving  the  King  to  commission  Captain  Kidd 
against  them. 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

[Goes  to  Livingston  and  speaks  low. 
But,  brother,  that  is  a  delicate  matter.    There  are  per- 
sons of  importance  here  who  would  be  gravely  con- 
cerned. 

LIVINGSTON 

Who,  pray? 

VAN  CORTLANDT 

Well,  for  one 

[Stoops  and  whispers  in  Livingstons  ear. 

LIVINGSTON 

Astounding!  I  thought  he  had  more  prudence.  We 
must  warn  him  of  his  danger  at  once.  Where  can  he 
be  found? 


JACOB  LEISLER  229 


VAN  CORTLANDT 

I  think  he  is  at  home  now — and  there  are  others  who 
should  know. 

[Van  Cortlandt  and  Livingston  go  away  by  the 
stile  in  earnest  consultation. 


MISS    LIVINGSTON 

[Heard  without. 

King  William  go  hang!     I've  no  patience  with  pirates 
— in  England  or  New  York. 

[Miss  Livingston  and   Cobus  come  from   the 

house. 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

[As  Cobus  tries  to  walk  beside  her. 
Don't  invade  Madam  Van  Cortlandt's  aster-bed — as 
you  hope  for  tuzzi-muzzies  hereafter! 


COBUS 

I  beg  Madam  Van  Cortlandt's  pardon — as  I  do  yours 
for  venturing  to  suggest  that  the  consideration  shown 
by  his  Majesty  to  some  of  those  lately  opposed  to  him 
should  at  least  lighten  Miss  Livingston's  disfavor. 


230  JACOB  LEISLER 


MISS    LIVINGSTON 

Oh,  I  am  not  so  easily  bought  as  my  brother  seems  to 
have  been.  Pray,  what  has  this  usurper  done  for  you? 
Has  he  given  you  back  your  father's  life?  Do  you 
think  if  you  and  yours  had  been  as  faithful  to  King 
James  as  you  were  to  this  interloper,  he  would  have 
suffered  your  father  to  be  put  to  death? 

COBUS 

My  King  has  done  what  he  could  to  repair  the  wrongs 
committed  in  his  name.  And  when  I  knelt  before  him 
and  showed  him  this  medal  [suspended  about  his 
neck],  he  told  me,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  how  deeply 
he  appreciated  my  father's  devotion,  and  how  his  anger 
was  kindled  against  those  who  kept  the  knowledge 
of  it  from  him. 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

Words,  words,  words!  It  is  long  since  William  the 
Silent. 

COBUS 

My  heart  is  too  full  of  gratitude  to  the  King,  to  all 
who  have  helped  me,  to  dwell  upon  ancient  errors. 
Even  some  of  my  father's  enemies  have  been  my 
friends — your  brother  most  of  all. 


JACOB  LEISLER  231 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

My  brother  had  his  reasons,  doubtless. 

COBUS 

Yes,  the  King  himself  told  me  Mr.  Livingston  did 
what  he  did  at  the  intercession  of  one  near  to  him. 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

Then  your  King  lied — I  never  lifted  a  ringer  to  help 
you. 

COBUS 

A.ha,  Madam,  you  betray  yourself!    Who  accused  you 
of  helping  me? 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

You  did. 

COBUS 

Nay,  I  said  not  so,  but  I  believe  it — and  thank  God 
very  fervently  that  I  can. 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

[Seating  herself  in  the  bower. 
And  why,  pray? 


232  JACOB  LEISLER 

COBUS 

If  Major  Milborne  were  living  he  might  answer  you. 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

Oh,  you  think  because  I  gave  you  some  feigned  toler- 
ance to  spite  Brother  Barebones  I  must  needs  have 
been  plotting  in  your  behalf  ever  since?  Master  Co- 
bus,  I  think  truly  your  success  at  William's  court  hath 
turned  your  head. 

COBUS 

Madam,  7  am  no  weathercock.  I  loved  you  five  years 
ago,  and  I  love  you  to-day,  in  spite  of  our  differences 
in  station  and  allegiance,  in  spite  of  all  the  bitter 
things  it  has  pleased  you  to  say  to  me,  and  I  even  dare 
to  hope  that,  if  I  might  stand  before  you  simply  as  a 
man  pleading  for  the  woman  he  loves,  I  might  not 
plead  in  vain. 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

Do  you  think  a  true  daughter  of  Scotland  can  ever 
forget  that  she  comes  from  the  land  of  the  Stuarts, 
that  it  was  your  Dutch  King  who  drove  them  from 
their  own,  and  that  your  father  and  you  both  did 
what  you  could  to  perpetuate  this  infamy? 


JACOB  LEISLER  233 


COBUS 

Ah,  what  have  we  to  do  with  kings  and  their  quarrels 
in  this  new  land?  The  great  ocean  rolls  between  us 
and  their  dissensions — shall  it  not  also  shut  us  off  from 
all  the  false  and  trivial  distinctions  of  rank  and  prece- 
dence, from  entailed  honor  and  estate,  from  sycophant 
courtiers  pandering  to  dissolute  kings?  God  has  given 
this  new  world  to  a  new  race  of  men  and  women,  men 
and  women  whose  first  allegiance  is  to  Him — one 
bright  land  of  liberty,  hope  and  opportunity  for  all,  a 
paradise  to  which  fallen  man  may  return,  a  haven  of 
refuge  for  the  oppressed  so  long  as  centuries  roll ! 


MISS    LIVINGSTON 

Is  this  poetry  or  revolution,  Master  Cobus? 

COBUS 

Both — for  it  prefigures  the  America  that  is  to  be.  My 
father  paid  his  penalty  for  trying  to  be  loyal  to  both 
the  old  order  and  the  new,  and  7  should  be  un- 
worthy to  bear  his  name  could  I  not  also  bear  with 
fortitude  the  condemnation  and  contempt  you  visit 
upon  him  and  upon  me. 


234  JACOB  LEISLER 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

{Picks  up  her  lute  and  sings  very  softly  and 
tantalizingly : 

'The  man  in  the  moon  may  wear  out  his  shoone  in  run- 
ing  after  Charles  his  wain; 

But  all  to  no  end,  for  the  times  they  will  mend  when 
the  King  comes  home  in  peace  again.' 

COBUS 

So,  I  have  my  answer! 

[He  turns  sadly  away,  and  goes  slowly  around 
the  walk  to  the  stile,  on  top  of  which  he  pauses 
to  take  a  last  look  at  his  tormentress.  She  has 
been  watching  him  slyly  around  the  corner  of 
the  bower  seat,  meanwhile  humming  the  air 
she  had  been  singing.  At  the  moment  when 
he  turns,  she  springs  to  her  feet  and,  suddenly 
changing  the  air  to  'Lilliburlero,'  sings  gayly 
up  to  him: 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

'Ho,  Broder  Teague,  dost  hear  de  decree?  Lillibur- 
lero bullen  a  la, 

Dat  we  shall  have  a  new  deputee  ?  Lilliburlero  bullen 
a  la.' 


JACOB  LEISLER  235 

[After  an  instant  of  bewilderment,  merging 
into  rapturous  recognition  of  her  meaning, 
Cobus  leaps  recklessly  from  the  stile  into  the 
flower-bed,  and,  bounding  to  her  side,  clasps 
her  in  his  arms. 

MISS    LIVINGSTON 

[Between  his  kisses. 

Alas — how  shall  I  placate — Madam  Van  Cortlandt — 
for  the  wreck — you  have  made  of  her  asters? 

COBUS 

Tell  her — it  was  all  the  fault  of — King  James ! 

MISS  LIVINGSTON 

That  is  not— the  authorized — King  James  version. 


NOTES 

Governor  Sloughter  died  suddenly,  a  few  weeks 
after  the  execution  of  Leisler  and  Milborne,  and  was 
buried  beside  Peter  Stuyvesant,  St.  Mark's-in-the- 
Bowery.  At  the  plea  of  Jacob  Leisler,  Jr.,  and  Abra- 
ham Gouverneur,  backed  by  the  Earl  of  Bellomont  and 
Robert  Livingston  (who,  for  reasons  of  his  own,  had 
changed  over  to  the  Leisler  side),  Parliament  in  1695 
passed  a  bill  which,  receiving  King  William's  assent, 
reversed  the  attainder  of  Leisler,  Milborne  and  Gou- 
verneur. It  declared  that  the  King's  letter  of  July  30, 
1689,  had  confirmed  Leisler  in  the  command  given 
him  by  the  New  York  General  Assembly,  that  he  was 
justified  in  refusing  to  deliver  the  fort  to  Ingoldsby 
and  had  surrendered  it  in  due  season  to  Sloughter. 
When  Bellomont  became  Governor  of  New  York  in 
1698,  the  bodies  of  Leisler  and  Milborne  were  disin- 
terred from  their  first  burial  place  in  the  rear  of  the 
present  Tribune  Building,  and  reburied  in  the  Dutch 
Church  in  Garden  street  (now  Exchange  Place)  with 
imposing  funeral  honors.  The  Leisler  party  having 
come  into  power,  Col.  Bayard  was  condemned  for 
treason,  but  escaped  execution  by  the  death  of  King 

236 


JACOB  LEISLER  237 

William  in  1702.  In  1699  Abraham  Gouverneur 
married  Mary  Milborne,  and  was  elected  to  the  New 
York  Assembly,  of  which  he  became  Speaker  in  1701. 
'And  from  their  happy  union,'  writes  E.  S.  Brooks, 
'sprang  a  line  of  worthy  American  men  and  women 
who  have  kept  green  the  memory  of  that  first  of 
American  patriots  to  whom  they  can  proudly  trace 
their  ancestral  line  and  whose  names  have  been 
counted  among  the  honored  ones  of  the  city  that  has 
grown  so  strong  and  mighty  since  those  far-off  days  of 
two  centuries  back.' 


It  is  a  singular  fact  that  New  York  City,  amid  its 
multiplicity  of  fearful  and  wonderful  statues  to  exotic 
celebrities,  had  not,  for  the  220  years  preceding  Sun- 
day, April  23,  191 1,  a  memorial  of  any  sort  to  the  man 
who  here,  for  the  first  time  in  American  history,  gov- 
erned a  colony  by  the  election  of  its  own  people,  who 
here  assembled  the  first  American  congress,  who  here 
was  executed  for  'treason'  to  a  King  whose  superloyal 
adherent  he  had  been  for  two  years  of  soul-racking 
struggle,  a  King  who  all-too-late  confirmed  his 
confirmation  to  act  as  Leftenant-Governor  and  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  of  the  Province.  When,  on  the  date 
named,  the  United  German  Societies  gathered  about 
the  little  grass-plot  at  the  western  end  of  City  Hall 


238  JACOB  LEISLER 

to  celebrate  with  song  and  bilingual  eulogy  the  plant- 
ing in  Leisler's  honor  of  the  two  young  oak  trees  sent 
from  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  Park  Commissioner  Sto- 
ver voiced  the  regret  of  many  in  declaring :  'There  has 
been  no  monument  raised  to  his  memory.  Not  a  park 
has  been  named  for  him,  not  a  street,  nor  an  alley. 
Over  there  stands  a  statue  of  Nathan  Hale,  who  laid 
down  his  life  in  like  cause,  and  some  day  I  hope  one 
of  Leisler  will  stand  near  by.'  It  is  true,  Frankfort 
street,  which  intersects  land  once  Leisler's  bowery, 
was  named  for  his  native  city.  But  even  the  place  of 
his  final  sepulture  is  unknown,  unmarked,  and  one  is 
forced  to  concede  the  paradox  noted  by  Mrs.  Schuyler 
Van  Rensselaer,  who,  in  her  monumental  History  of 
New  York  City  in  the  Seventeenth  Century,  after 
relating  the  unending  controversy  as  to  Leisler's  char- 
acter and  motives,  goes  on  to  say:  'This  does  not 
mean  that  Leisler,  or  even  Leisler's  name,  is  well  re- 
membered in  New  York.  While  students  of  its  his- 
tory have  quarrelled  about  him  more  than  about  any 
other  colonial  character,  its  people  have  forgotten  him.' 
If  this  be  so,  is  it  not  time  they  should  say  with  Ver- 
milye :  'Let  us  turn  his  face  from  the  wall !' 


If  relatively  few  residents  of  the  inordinate  metro- 
polis are  interested  in  its  beginnings,  there  are  those 


JACOB  LEISLER  239 

in  its  suburb,  New  Rochelle,  who  recall  the  fact  that 
in  1689  Leisler  bought  for  Huguenots  in  England 
from  John  Pell,  second  proprietor  of  Pelham  Manor, 
the  six  thousand  acres  now  comprised  within  the  town- 
ship of  New  Rochelle,  Westchester  County,  and  dur- 
ing the  year  1690,  "while,"  as  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer 
points  out,  "his  hands  were  overfull  of  public  work 
and  trouble,"  he  sold  off  the  whole  of  the  tract  to  in- 
coming Frenchmen  at  cost.  New  Rochelle  yet  has 
descendants  of  these  original  Huguenot  settlers  as 
well  as  at  least  one  (Mrs.  Montgomery  Schuyler)  of 
Leisler  himself,  and  the  Huguenot  Chapter  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  Revolution  has  commissioned  Mr. 
Solon  H.  Borglum,  the  sculptor,  to  execute  a  statue 
of  Leisler  to  stand  upon  the  grounds  of  the  Hu- 
guenot Association  in  that  city.  A  photograph 
of  Mr.  Borglum's  preliminary  sketch  for  this 
statue  will  be  found  upon  another  page.  While 
extended  and  persistent  search  has  failed  to  bring  to 
light  any  authentic  portrait  of  Leisler,  Mr.  Borglum's 
conception  is  one  profoundly  expressive  of  the  mingled 
benevolence,  virile  independence  and  vivid  picturesque- 
ness  characterizing  the  first  people's  governor  of  New 
York.  In  physiognomy  he  has  accented  his  subject's 
traditional  French  ancestry.  The  figure,  admirably 
unconventional  in  poise  and  costuming,  is  intended  to 
be  seen  upon  a  nine-foot  pedestal.  It  stands  sturdily 


240  JACOB  LEISLER 

erect,  the  head  thrown  back  and  turned  slightly  to 
the  left,  the  left  arm  uplifted  and  supported  by  the 
right  hand  which  clasps  the  top  of  a  long  staff,  the 
left  hand,  gauntleted,  grasping  a  roll  of  deeds.  A 
wide-brimmed  hat,  sword-belt,  flowing  wig  and  long 
cloak  are  effective  features  of  the  costume.  In  no- 
bility of  conception  and  sympathetic  zest  of  execution 
Mr.  Borglum's  work  is  one  which  singularly  com- 
mends itself  to  the  appreciation  of  those  who  revere 
the  memory  of  Jacob  Leisler.  The  undertaking  is 
local  to  New  Rochelle,  but  those  having  it  in  charge 
welcome  the  cooperation  of  Leisler's  admirers  every- 
where, an  invitation  to  which  there  have  been  already 
numerous  responses. 


The  songs  used  in  the  play  have  historical  signifi- 
cance. Of  'Lilliburlero'  Thomas  Percy  says:  'Slight 
and  insignificant  as  these  verses  may  now  seem,  they 
once  had  a  more  powerful  effect  than  either  the  philip- 
pics of  Demosthenes  or  Cicero,  and  contributed  not  a 
little  toward  the  great  revolution  in  1688.'  To  which 
he  cites  the  testimony  of  Burnet,  a  contemporary 
writer,  who  says  of  the  song:  'The  whole  army,  and 
at  last  the  people,  both  in  city  and  country,  were  sing- 
ing it  perpetually.  And  perhaps  never  had  so  slight  a 
thing  so  great  an  effect.'  'Lilliburlero'  and  'bullen  a  la' 


JACOB  LEISLER  241 

are  said  to  have  been  words  of  distinction  used  by  the 
Irish  in  the  massacre  of  1641.  Concerning  'When 
the  King  Enjoys  His  Own  Again,'  Joseph  Ritson,  the 
English  antiquary,  writes:  'And  as  a  tune  is  said  to 
have  been  a  principal  means  of  depriving  King  James 
of  his  crown,  this  very  air,  upon  two  memorable  occa- 
sions, was  very  near  being  equally  instrumental  in 
replacing  it  on  the  head  of  his  son.' 


242 


JACOB  LEISLER 


Moderate. 


ipE 

L    TL  i>._ 


i~N *- 


~~\ 


«  -»-  -c- 

j  Ho,  Bro-der  Teague,  dost  hear  de     de  -  cree? 
'  (  Dat   we   shall  have     a      new  dep  -  u  -  tee  ? 


i^iz?^: 


1 


*= 


Lil  -  li  -   bur  -  le   -    ro,     bul  -  len  -  a   -  la, 
Lil  -  li  -   bur  -  le   -    ro,     bul  -  len  -  a   -   la, 


E^=^E^= 


=£ 


v=tizi 


1^=1=3==^  =^r 

-ft ! ^ ! ^— 


EiEI-^EEiEEiE 


0 


Le  -    ro,     le    -    ro,     lil  -  le  -  bur  -  le  -    ro, 

A , 1 


--*— 


_j_^ze 
l-A— 


r 


•***=--&* 


Lil-le-bur-le  -  ro,  bul-len-a  -  la,        Le-ro,  le  -  ro, 


JACOB  LEISLER 


243 


HI  -  li-bur-le  -  ro,  lil-  le-bur-le  -  ro,  bul-len-a-la. 

r-r-r-nr— rvr 


t: 


±1 


\] 


LILLIBURLERO 

[Words  attributed  to  Lord  Wharton,   1 686] 

Ho,  Broder  Teague,  dost  hear  de  decree? 

Lilliburlero  bullen  a  la, 
Dat  we  shall  have  a  new  deputee? 
Lilliburlero  bullen  a  la. 
Lero,  lero,  lilliburlero, 
Lilliburlero  bullen  a  la. 

Ho,  by  my  shoul,  it  is  de  Talbot, 
And  he  will  cut  all  de  English  throat; 

Tho,  by  my  shoul,  de  English  do  praat, 

De  law's  on  dare  side,  and  Creish  knows  what, 

But  if  dispense  do  come  from  de  Pope, 

We'll  hang  Magna  Charta  and  demselves  in  a  rope. 

And  de  good  Talbot  is  made  a  lord, 
And  he  with  brave  lads  is  coming  aboard, 


244  JACOB  LEISLER 

Who  in  France  have  taken  a  sware 
Dat  dey  will  have  no  Protestant  heir, 

O,  but  why  does  he  stay  behind? 

Ho,  by  my  shoul,  'tis  a  Protestant  wind. 

Now  Tyrconnel  is  come  ashore, 
And  we  shall  have  commissions  gillore ; 

And  he  dat  will  not  go  to  mass 
Shall  turn  out  and  look  like  an  ass. 

Now,  now,  de  hereticks  all  go  down, 

By  Creish  and  St.  Patrick,  de  nation's  our  own! 


JACOB  LEISLER 


245 


\— n-j^~ 
il^EEESEE^i 


What  Book-er  can   prog  -  nos  -  ti  -  cate,    or 
'  I        think  my-self      to      be    as    wise,    as 


75    ""  —  ^  — 

PS    PS 

1  

-f—  1  -1 

0     * 

J       J        -1 

1,^.1       4 

9        '\ 

J  r 

speak 
he 

| 

T      ~T^r 

of  our  king  -  dom's    pres  -   < 
that     most    looks       in        1 

J      I       I 

9 
f 

:nt     state?  | 
he     skies,  f 

J          J 

yWA«  1*          5* 

• 

9 

J          *         -1 

1?      ft 

•               :l 

T**L  _•  —  •.- 

—f—p  •  — 

*  

i  —  T| 

1 

v    i                    I 

r 

—  ^-•F^BS=q^=F^===q 


My  skill  goes  be-yond  the  depths  of  the  Pond,   or 


246 


JACOB  LEISLER 


i         r 

By  the  which  I     can   tell  that  all   things  will  be 


T  r 


TT 


well,  When  the  King  comes  home  in  Peace  a-gain. 
I          I 


i 


JACOB  LEISLER  247 

WHEN  THE  KING  ENJOYS  HIS  OWN  AGAIN 

[fiords  by  Martin  Packer,  1652} 

What  Booker  can  prognosticate,  or  speak  of  our  king- 
dom's present  state? 

I  think  myself  to  be  as  wise  as  he  that  most  looks  in 
the  skies. 

My  skill  goes  beyond  the  depths  of  the  Pond,  or  River 
in  the  greatest  rain; 

By  the  which  I  can  tell  that  all  things  will  be  well 
when  the  King  comes  home  in  peace  again. 

There  is  no  Astrologer,  then  say  I,  can  search  more 

deep  in  this  than  I 
To  give  you  a  reason  from  the  stars,  what  causeth 

peace  or  civill  wars. 
The  man  in  the  Moon  may  wear  out  his  shoone  in 

running  after  Charles  his  Wain ; 
But  all  to  no  end,  for  the  times  they  will  mend,  when 

the  King  comes  home  in  peace  again. 

Though  for  a  time  you  may  see  Whitehall,  with  cob- 
webs hanging  over  the  wal, 

Instead  of  silk  and  silver  brave  as  formerly  it  used 
to  have; 


248  JACOB  LEISLER 

(And)  in  every  Roome  the  sweet  perfume,  delightful 

for  that  Princely  Traine; 
The  which  you  shall  see,  when  the  time  it  shall  be, 

that  the  King  comes  home  in  peace  again. 

Till  then  upon  Ararat's  hill,  my  hope  shall  cast  her 

Anchor  still; 
Until  I  see  some  peaceful  Dove  bring  home  the  branch 

which  I  do  love. 
Still  will  I  wait  till  the  waters  abate,  which  most 

disturb  my  troubled  brain; 
For  I'le  never  rejoyes  till  I  hear  that  voice,  that  the 

King  comes  home  in  peace  again. 


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